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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 David Ling?

2. What was the weather like during John Leal's first day out of the gulag?

3. Who is the waiter that wins the pool when the waitstaff places a bet at the restaurant?

4. From whom does Liesl's say she has learned to manipulate men?

5. What did Phoebe's mother put on her as a child?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the usual piano player at John Leal's not able to play on Phoebe's first evening at John Leal's house?

2. When did John Leal leave Noxhurst?

3. What is the name of Will's hometown?

4. What is the name of the pregnant girl whom John Leal met in a gulag?

5. What is the name of the club where Phoebe invites Will for a drink?

6. How does Phoebe cut her hand during her picnic with Will?

7. In what city does John Leal end up after leaving Noxhurst?

8. Who is the female waitress where Will works?

9. From what building on Noxhurst does Will imagine the explosion being watched?

10. Why does Phoebe get angry with Will after winter break (in Chapter 13)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you examine the title and cover of the novel. What does the title and cover suggest about the novel? Do you think it is an effective title, or would another have been more appropriate?

Essay Topic 2

The Incendiaries was published in 2018, over a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The author makes various use of terrorist attacks at one point in the novel (in Chapter 37). Write an essay on the book's currency with respect to its theme of terrorism. While your main argument should focus on the text, you man consult outside sources to research other acts of terrorism that the author may have used for inspiration. In your essay, state whether you think the bombing constitutes an act of terrorism. Is it a realistic portrayal? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you explain the role of family in the novel. As the primary characters live on campus during the time in which the novel is set, their family is largely absent; however, their families are very present within flashbacks and dialogue. How do each of the two primary characters (Will and Phoebe) relate to their families? What are their families like? You may also consider family dynamics of minor characters as represented in the novel. Lastly, how does the author use these characters' relationships with their family to make a statement about the role of one's family?

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