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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. Which one of the following is a topic of discussion in Letter #150 to Christopher?

2. Who is Tolkien replying to in Letter #246?

3. When is Letter #246, about Gandalf and the Ring, written?

4. As mentioned in a letter to Unwin, how had Tolkien previously responded to the warning about his friendship with C.S. Lewis?

5. How does Tolkien react to the original cover designs that he is sent for his books?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How does Allen & Unwin respond to Tolkien's opinion of the cover images?

4. How did being a father help Tolkien in writing one of his most well known stories, The Hobbit?

5. What important announcement does Tolkien make to Christopher Bretherton in Letter #253 about his connection to childhood?

6. What previously unmentioned career achievement does Tolkien reveal to Christopher Bretherton in Letter #253?

7. What changes have occurred in Tolkien's career as a professor by Letter #182 in 1956?

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

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

10. How does Tolkien address the name Numenor in Letter #227?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the reasons that Tolkien had for writing The Hobbit, The Lords of the Ring, and The Silmarillion. Also, provide an analysis of how his dislike for industrialization factored into his work, the way he used specific characters to represent both sides, and why he thought it was necessary to write fairy tales.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Tolkien's relationship with his son, Christopher, based on his letters. Provide at least three separate examples of how he communicated with his son and the effect it had on his writing.

Essay Topic 3

Examine Tolkien's theory about human behavior and the effects of circumstances, free will, and character in making decisions. Be sure to provide examples from Tolkien's letters explaining why certain characters he has invented act the way that they do and make the choices they make.

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