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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. Where do September and the others find themselves when they awaken?

2. To whom does Calpurnia whisper a secret?

3. What does Nor say she might be able to do?

4. To whom does September apologize?

5. Who taunts the others in September's dream?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where do the Marquess and September ride and what does the Marquess show September?

2. Who does September meet when her raft collides with a thick net of water plants and where do they go?

3. What do the Panther and September wonder about the sleeping Marquess, and what starts to happen and why?

4. Where do September, Saturday, Ell and Gleam awaken and who joins them?

5. How does September get food when she is back on her raft?

6. What dreams do September and Death discuss?

7. Where do September and her friends arrive after Calpurnia and Penny have left the group?

8. What does Nor say she might be able to make for September and what is September's response?

9. What does the Marquess reveal to September about the link between worlds and what does the Marquess want September to do?

10. What does the Panther agree to do for September?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters are an integral and important part of almost all novels. Discuss the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of September and The Marquess. How are they similar? How are they different? Is there a flaw in each of their personalities? Be specific and give examples.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Ell and Saturday. How do they seem different? Which do you like more? Why? Which one seems more of a well-rounded character?

3. Thoroughly analyze how three of the secondary characters in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland help drive the plot and what their contribution is to the storyline. Are any of the secondary characters unnecessary? Indispensable? Which of the secondary characters are likable? Which are either unlikable or even despicable? Be specific and give examples.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why?

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why?

3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot?

4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not?

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

The appearance of Death in Chapter 12 is a particularly intriguing aspect of the book, in that traditionally, mythologically and spiritually, Death is perceived and/or presented as much more threatening than its portrayal here. The explanation Death offers for this is quite thought provoking, and may well trigger, in the reader, an imagining of how death might look to him/her self and to others. In any case, the concept of Death, as defined here, seems to be related to a more broadly based experience than simply the end of physical life. In many spiritual philosophies and practices, including (for example) tarot cards, death is viewed as a symbolic representation of transformation, of moving from one phase of existence into another. As such, death is often encountered, albeit in a variety of forms, on The Hero's Journey, a narrative that, in a very fundamental way, is all about transformation, about leaving an old world and old ways behind. In short, September's encounter with Death here is not about an actual physical death, but a death of a younger, more naïve, less courageous version of herself.

1. Discuss two events in a person's life that could be considered a type of death that is not physical death. Compare those to one situation in September's life. Use examples from your life and the text to support your answer.

2. Discuss the transformation which occurs in September as she moves through her journey in Fairyland. Use examples from your life and the text to support your answer.

3. Why do you think death might be viewed symbolically as a transformation in an individual's life or person? Use examples from your life and the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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