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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 4, To Unwin about The Hobbit.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Tolkien describe the domestic problems he is having in a letter before he moves to a small house?
(a) Unpredictable.
(b) Inexcusable.
(c) Unexpected.
(d) Intolerable.

2. As mentioned in Letter #66, why does Tolkien think that he will have to move some of the sections of his book?
(a) They are too long.
(b) They do not fit in with the storyline.
(c) They are too short.
(d) They do not have the same writing style as the other sections.

3. How does Tolkien think children will respond to Farmer Giles of Ham?
(a) They will not understand it.
(b) They will not like it.
(c) They might like it.
(d) He encourages them not to read it.

4. What book inspired a schoolboy to write to Tolkien, prompting his response in Letter #114?
(a) The Hobbit.
(b) The Silmarillion.
(c) The Lord of the Rings.
(d) Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.

5. What assertion does Tolkien make about Farmer Giles of Ham?
(a) It is a children's book.
(b) It is his longest work to date.
(c) It is not a children's book.
(d) It is an unfinished work.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do the letters selected for "To Unwin about The Hobbit" have in common?

2. In Letter #130, what distinction does Tolkien make about the artificial languages he creates for his books?

3. What will the alteration mean for the book Tolkien is writing in Letter #128?

4. How long is Tolkien separated from Edith, making his affection for her grow stronger?

5. Who is the person that Tolkien thanks, and is the recipient of Letter #130?

(see the answer key)

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