Avery, the leader of the Authority in its base of power, the west coast of the United States, begins the novel as a suspicious but effective leader. As events progress, he slowly looses his grasp on sanity, and it becomes clear he has allowed his obsessions to get the better of him.

1) Discuss Avery as a character and a leader. What are his most important defining traits, what makes him an effective leader, and how did he come to a position of power within the Authority?

2) Describe the obsessions that plague Avery and how he struggles with them. Cite examples of Avery either overcoming or being defeated by these obsessions and describe how these events affect his psyche.

3) Explain Avery's final descent into madness, its causes, and its effects on the final conflict with the Tinkers.

Essay Topic 2

Wili experiences the most growth of any character over the course of the novel. Although he begins as an orphaned and miscreant youth, he becomes an important leader within the Tinkers and possibly the most influential thinker in the world.

1) Discuss Wili as a character at the time that he enters the story. What is his background and what are his character traits? Explain how he uses his considerably intellect at this time.

2) Describe the causes of Wili's reform as a moral person. Explain what initiates this change and discuss some examples of Wili's superior moral standing from events in the later parts of the novel.

3) Explain Wili's growth as an intellectual thinker and leader. Identify the point where he surpasses and takes over for Paul, and how and why he becomes recognized by others in the Tinker movement as an important leader.

Essay Topic 3

The bobbles are a defining element of the setting, and all the major events of the novel and of the history leading up to it are shaped by them. They represent a kind of super-weapon, superseding nuclear weapons, and allowing the Peace Authority to control much of the world.

1) Explain what a bobble is, how it is created and destroyed, and what its characteristics are.

2) Describe some uses for bobbles that are seen in the novel.

3) Explain how the Authority is able to control most of the world through their use of bobbles.

4) Discuss the impact that Paul and Wili's rogue bobble-generator has on the world and its political balance.

(see the answer keys)

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