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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Tolkien think his writing about the joys of fatherhood will be interpreted by people who are not yet parents?
(a) It will be very helpful.
(b) It will not be very helpful.
(c) They will be surprised.
(d) They will not be surprised.

2. Which literary technique does Tolkien not appreciate?
(a) Alliteration.
(b) Metaphor.
(c) Analogy.
(d) Allegory.

3. What does Tolkien think children can become for their parents?
(a) One of the strongest sources of information.
(b) One of the strongest sources of support.
(c) A chance to correct their own mistakes.
(d) A chance to relive their lives.

4. What does Tolkien wish for "well-meaning folk who think they know" in Letter #236?
(a) They could be appreciated.
(b) They could be restrained.
(c) They could be listened to.
(d) They could be reasoned with.

5. What is Tolkien finishing while writing the letters included in "The Lord of the Rings Are Published"?
(a) The manuscript for the final story of the trilogy.
(b) The collection of poems that coincides with the trilogy.
(c) The poem that coincides with the trilogy.
(d) The manuscript for the prequel to the trilogy.

Short Answer Questions

1. Based on the information provided by Tolkien in Letter #261, which Ireland Province was C.S. Lewis from?

2. How does Tolkien consider Frodo's breakdown in Letter #246?

3. How long is Tolkien's Letter #256 to Colin Bailey?

4. How does Tolkien think his writing about the joys of fatherhood will be interpreted by people who are parents?

5. How does Tolkien describe Gandalf in Letter #246?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information does Tolkien provide in his remembrance of C.S. Lewis in Letters #257 and #261?

2. What is the mystery of creative writing that Tolkien reveals in Letter #199 to Christopher?

3. What problem of Sauron does Tolkien describe in his letter to Auden as an example of human behavior?

4. How does Tolkien disprove the misconception that his success was made overnight in Letter #159?

5. Which literary device does Tolkien not appreciate and how does he view the intended audience of fairy tales?

6. Which familiar people does Tolkien continue to write to in the "Later Years," and which recipients are new?

7. What does Tolkien think about Frodo's breakdown at the Cracks of Doom being considered a moral failure?

8. According to Tolkien's letter to W.H. Auden, what drives humans towards certain behaviors?

9. Why, when, and how does Tolkien switch from writing with a pen and paper to using a typewriter?

10. Who does Tolkien thank in his letter to D. Auden on 1955?

(see the answer keys)

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