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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 happened to most of the buildings that should have been contained within the deadciv?

2. What is unusual about the black vines Nassun finds in the Station?

3. What happened to Maxixe and Essun's friend Crack?

4. Who controls the contaminated Guardians that attack Nassun at Found Moon?

5. How does the handyman at Found Moon describe Schaffa's treatment of Nassun?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Schaffa advise the orogenes from Found Moon to do when he sends them to find a new comm?

2. When Kelenli first meets the other tuners, to what does she attribute her success in riding the onyx obelisk?

3. Why does Hoa’s prison in Syl Anagist require no guards?

4. How does Schaffa explain his cruelty towards the orogenes when he and Nassun discuss the issue on their way to the Station?

5. What does Essun realize about the relationship between orogeny and magic when she encounters Maxixe in the stone forest?

6. When Schaffa and Nassun arrive at Old Man's Pucker, they camp outside the forest before heading in to look for the Station. Why?

7. Why must the orogenes be controlled, according to Schaffa?

8. Why can the stone eaters track Nassun?

9. What happened to Nassun’s father before the beginning of the novel?

10. Who does Ykka take Essun to see after Essun first wakes up from her coma?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters in the novel are deeply tied to the geography of the world around them. Some geographical features, such as the Stone Forest and the twin calderas surrounding the Station, serve as the backdrop for major story moments. Choose one geographical feature from the text and analyze the role it plays in the plot. What logistical challenges does it introduce for the characters? What social or psychological struggles follow from the presence of this geographical feature?

Essay Topic 2

Nassun and Essun have extremely different relationships with Schaffa. Analyze Schaffa’s behavior throughout the novel to explain each character’s perspective on him. How does Schaffa understand his past mistakes? What role does he play in the final conflict?

Essay Topic 3

Like our protagonists, Father Earth has known exploitation and loss. Explain how Jemisin uses Father Earth as a foil to Nassun, Essun or Hoa. What makes Father Earth an antagonist? What leads him to change his ways? How does his character arc compare to the protagonist’s?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 670 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample