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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. Who is the embassy official assigned to the victim's parents?

2. Who is the supervisor to Geary's best friend?

3. What characterizes the city in which Borlú lives and works?

4. In what city does Borlú live and work?

5. What surprises Dhatt about the case?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is David Bowden?

2. Who is Harkad Gosz and what does Borlú learn from him?

3. Who is Aikam Tsueh and what is notable about him?

4. What information does Borlú learn from Khurusch?

5. Who is Yolanda Rodriguez and what is notable about her?

6. Why does Borlú want to speak with the Oversight Committee?

7. What is the real identity of the victim? What is known about her?

8. What is the Cleavage and what is known about it?

9. What is Orciny?

10. Describe the process necessary for Borlú to travel to Ul Qoma.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are many mysteries in the novel, including the mystery regarding who killed Mahalia Geary, the mystery regarding Orciny, and the mystery regarding the nature of Breach. Discuss the mysteries that are inherent to the story’s plot and how they are resolved (or not) by the novel’s end.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring how Borlú changes over the course of the novel.

Essay Topic 3

How do the characters illustrate the constraints of bureaucracy? What are the effects of so many rules and regulations?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 644 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample