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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 is Janet Ruffing doing when James decides to sleep with her in Chapter 9?

2. On what topic does Sigh repeatedly expound in the Chapter 12?

3. In Chapter 9, what medium does Volterra say would be best for telling the cult's story?

4. In Chapter 8, what is Volterra unsure of regarding his possible documentary?

5. What holiday is approaching at the beginning of Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. What prank do the Kellers and James try to play on Hardeman in Chapter 11?

2. How does DeLillo illustrate James' awkward relationship with his landlord in Chapter 10?

3. What information does Andahl give about the cult in Chapter 9?

4. In Chapter 12, why does Owen go to Lake Rajsamand?

5. What traumatic experience happens to Orville Benton in Chapter 14?

6. What unfortunate occurrence happens to David Keller in Chapter 13?

7. How does James learn the truth behind the CIA in Chapter 13?

8. What suspicions does James have about Eliades in Chapter 13?

9. What unsettling information does Ann Maitland tell James in Chapter 10?

10. In Chapter 8, what does James see in Mani that shakes him up?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A central theme of Don DeLillo's The Names is the mystical and broad meaning of language. In this novel, language and words not only contain meaning but also a sort of divine truth. Write an essay in three parts about the way DeLillo deals with truth in the novel:

Part 1) Owen Brademas is the major character with the most passionate connection to language in the novel. Discuss what influences in his life, beginning with his childhood, have contributed to this connection. What does he want to do with his life, and how do words become part of this? What is the purpose of ancient words, in his viewpoint?

Part 2) Midway through the novel, the mysterious Vosdanik explains the significance of words to the mysterious cult. Describe the role of language to the lonely men of the desert. Why are they obsessed with them? Historically, what has been the significance of words to spiritual acolytes?

Part 3) What is the methodology of the language cult? Why do they commit their murders? What divine extreme are they reaching for? Citing the words of Vosdanik, Andahl, and Singh, discuss the meaning of the cult in the world of the novel. Are they the touchstone of love of language in The Names?

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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