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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. Where does Kathryn accept a job at the end of Chapter 5?

2. What favorite activity has Charles Maitland given up on in Chapter 4?

3. In Chapter 4, where does Owen think the cave people have gone?

4. What offer does James make to Charles in Chapter 4?

5. Into what country is James arriving at the beginning of Book 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What theories do Kathryn and Owen posit about the killings in Chapter 5?

2. In Chapter 4, what plan does Kathryn have for after her dig ends?

3. Describe the awkward lunch at the beginning of Chapter 7.

4. Why is James ridiculed by his friends in the beginning of Chapter 1?

5. Describe Kathryn and James' argument in Chapter 5?

6. Why is Owen uncomfortable talking about the Feast of the Virgin in Chapter 2?

7. What plan does Volterra have for his life after film?

8. What conversation do Eliades and James have at dinner in Chapter 3?

9. What do Owen and James talk about at the end of Chapter 2?

10. How do Kathryn and James discuss their relationship in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the ensemble that is James Axton's expatriate social scene. What collective philosophy do these people share, and for whence does this philosophy derive? In this essay, discuss the dynamic that exists within the group. Who are the most dominant figures in the group dynamic, and who feels like an outsider? Which couples are strong and which are clearly foundering? How is this made apparent?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the marriage and separation of James and Kathryn Axton. How did their marriage affect each others individual life and goals? What state is the marriage in when the novel begins, and how did it reach this point? Discuss how Kathryn and James' personalities and lifestyles change after the separation. What idiosyncrasies are revealed as a result? What finally breaks the marriage apart for good, and how does the veneer of cordiality disappear as a result?

Essay Topic 3

The world of The Names is one in which truth and facts are subjective. One can never be certain what is real and what is imagined. As such, there are a plethora of ambiguous characters in the novel. Write an essay about three such characters, discussing what they appear to be and what they are. How is the narrative affected by each of these characters? What deceptions do they perpetrate, and to what end? Is each characters' objectives identified by the end of the novel?

Part 1) Eliades

Part 2) Rowser

Part 3) Andahl

(see the answer keys)

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