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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. What chapter of the book that Tolkien is working on is he considering altering in Letter #128?

2. What book inspired a schoolboy to write to Tolkien, prompting his response in Letter #114?

3. Who does Tolkien say are the only people interested in reading his literary works in Letter #115?

4. Which of the following is the main thing that separates the Hobbits and the enemy?

5. What has Tolkien found in his manuscript when he writes Letter #69?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tolkien write about being given the position of chairing the English department at the university?

2. What clarification does Tolkien make about the word, "Elves"?

3. How does Rayner Unwin first contact Tolkien, leading to his involvement with publishing The Lord of the Rings?

4. Who is Tolkien traveling with in the story he recounts for Christopher in a letter from April 3, 1944, and what is the point of the story?

5. How does Tolkien refer to The Hobbit in his early letters to Christopher?

6. In what way does Tolkien realistically depict his job as a professor in 1952?

7. What is the One Ring of Power in Tolkien's stories?

8. What are the Stages of History that Tolkien describes in Letter #131?

9. What is the power of the pen and how does Tolkien explain it?

10. What observation does Tolkien make about his Middle English class to Mrs. E.M. Wright in Letter #6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tolkien expresses his discontent with changes made to his work by editors in various letters.

1) Describe two examples of Tolkien's disagreement with proposed changes in spelling or use of words for his stories.

2) Analyze how Tolkien invented the different languages for his fictional realm and why his educational background was significant.

Essay Topic 2

Describe in detail the Stages of History according to Tolkien's explanation of them in his letters. Include the order of his fictional species, the major differences between them, how mankind fits into the development of his world, and Tolkien's reasons for creating each stage a particular way.

Essay Topic 3

The One Ring of Power is a significant element in The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's letters.

1) Describe the One Ring, its features, and the effect it has on whoever wears it.

2) Explain the only known way to destroy the Ring.

3) Analyze Tolkien's hypothetical assessment of why Gandalf would be worse while wearing the Ring than Sauron and whether you agree with him.

(see the answer keys)

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