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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Whose voice seems familiar to Borlú?

2. What is the name of Borlú's boss?

3. The victim's parents are upset to learn that, once Breach takes the case, what will happen?

4. Which group of people do Borlú and Dhatt interrogate?

5. Who owns the van that transported the victim?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the DöplirCaffé and what is notable about it?

2. In the hours immediately following the discovery of the murder, what do the detectives believe about the victim?

3. What does the video footage show?

4. Who is Syedr and what does he believe about Breach?

5. How does Corwi disagree with the initial theory of the murder?

6. Describe the discovery of the victim at the beginning of the novel.

7. According to the True Citizens, why was Geary murdered?

8. Why does Gadlem tell Borlú about complicating the case?

9. What has the Oversight Committee decided?

10. What is Copula Hall? What is its function?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How would you classify the novel? Is it a murder mystery? Science fiction? Fantasy? Crime novel? Choose a classification and argue why the novel fits it best.

Essay Topic 2

Seeing (and, by contrast) “unseeing” are both essential concepts to the novel. Explain how these concepts are necessary to daily life and how they influence the novel’s themes.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the author’s choice to tell this story by using a first-person point of view. How does viewing the story through the first-person viewpoint of Borlú affect the story? How would the book be different if the story was told through third-person narration?

(see the answer keys)

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