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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. What item is found in Bowden's apartment?

2. Borlú posits that Geary initially believed she was working on behalf of whom?

3. What is the identity of the informant who called Borlú back in Beszel?

4. Who keeps calling Corwi in an attempt to get a hold of Borlú?

5. What does Ashil do after he is shot?

Short Essay Questions

1. What video footage is Borlú shown?

2. How does Borlú walk through the city while out with Ashil?

3. What accident interrupts Borlú and Ashil? What is the effect of this accident?

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

5. What crime has Borlú committed? How did he commit this act?

6. Who is Mikhel Buric and what role did he play in the crime?

7. What are dissensi?

8. After regaining consciousness, where does Borlú find himself?

9. After speaking with Buidze, what hypothesis does Borlú develop?

10. What does Ashil believe about the origin of the accident? What does Borlú believe about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss the surrender of David Bowden at the end of the novel. Why does he surrender? How does his surrender reflect the larger themes at play in the novel?

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