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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. What causes Frodo to have a breakdown in The Lord of the Rings?
(a) Pressure.
(b) Insanity.
(c) Insecurity.
(d) Evil influences.

2. According to Letter #257, why did Tolkien find it difficult to become close friends with Charles Williams, a mutual friend of C.S. Lewis?
(a) Williams was not a writer.
(b) Williams was not a fan of Fairy Tales.
(c) A polar difference in literary appreciation.
(d) A polar difference in mentalities.

3. What university did C.S. Lewis have a Chair position?
(a) University of Manchester.
(b) University of Oxford.
(c) University of Cambridge.
(d) University of Edinburgh.

4. Based on Tolkien's letter to W.H. Auden, who is responsible for shaping an individual's behavior?
(a) The individual.
(b) The individual and people around them.
(c) People around the individual.
(d) Neither the individual nor people around them.

5. According to Tolkien in Letter #246, what would have happened if Gandalf wore the ring?
(a) He would have been worse than Sauron.
(b) He would have been better than Sauron.
(c) He would have been the same as Sauron.
(d) Tolkien is not sure.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Tolkien's age when he writes Letter #253?

2. To whom does Tolkien write about the impact of C.S. Lewis' passing?

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

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

5. In what year does Tolkien write about a piece of fan mail that boosts his spirits in "The Final Letters"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What issues is Tolkien having with the cover images for The Lord of the Rings books and how does he handle the situation?

3. What wish does Tolkien have for "well-meaning" editors in Letter #236?

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

5. How does Tolkien support his assessment of Gandalf's Ring-wearing in Letter #246?

6. As Tolkien explains in his letter to Unwin, why is the work of C.S. Lewis opposed by some?

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

8. Who is Tolkien writing to when he predicts what would happen if Gandalf had worn the Ring, and what is his prediction?

9. What is Tolkien's initial reaction when he is warned about his friendship with C.S. Lewis and what happens to change his mind?

10. What is the general range in lengths of the letters featured in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien?

(see the answer keys)

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