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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. Why does MacDonald explain that Sarah couldn't go to Hell?

2. What approaches the narrator and his guide in the beginning of Chapter 12?

3. What does MacDonald say that Hell does not have the power to do over Heaven?

4. What creature is on the shoulder of the Ghost in the forest?

5. What does the Solid Man say that Pam is only using as a means to get to her son?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the Female Ghost change her mind about seeing Robert?

2. What does the Tragedian do that makes the dwarf get smaller? What does Sarah say about this?

3. What happens to the narrator when the morning arrives?

4. What does Sarah do when the dwarf disappears?

5. Why does the Female Ghost encountered by the narrator and MacDonald say she wouldn't stay in Heaven?

6. What does the narrator see when things suddenly change in Chapter 14? What do the figures on the table do?

7. What is MacDonald's reply when the narrator asks him if all he has seen is false?

8. Why does the narrator begin to feel unsafe in this place after his encounter with the Hard-Bitten Ghost? What does he hide from?

9. Who does MacDonald say is the only Bright Person who can get into Hell? Why?

10. What are the approaching lights the narrator sees in Chapter 12? What are they doing? What is the song like that he hears?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the title of The Great Divorce. What did Lewis write the novel in response to? How does his opinion of the afterlife and the philosophies of sin differ from the noted text?

Essay Topic 2

From what point of view is the novel written? In what tense is it written? Define the terms which apply to these forms as discussed in class. In what ways does a narrative written in this point of view allow the reader greater understanding of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

How does the character of MacDonald serve the novel? What is the literary term that may be applied to him? What are his major characteristics? What does he represent symbolically?

(see the answer keys)

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