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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. How does Essun reach the onyx obelisk?

2. Where was the test bore at the Zero Site taken from?

3. Where does Nassun chase Schaffa when he arises at Corepoint?

4. Why does Danel want to follow Essun on her trip to activate the Obelisk Gate?

5. Why does Hoa tell Essun to be impressed with Nassun when he describes her attempt to activate the Gate?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Essun object when Danel uses the word rogga during their last conversation before entering the desert?

2. What happens to the tuners on their way to Kelenli’s home during their second lesson?

3. Why does Essun give Nassun control of the Obelisk Gate?

4. What does the Earth do after it agrees to peace with humanity?

5. What does Hoa reveal to Essun about Alabaster during their nighttime meeting in Rennanis?

6. While Nassun is distracted, what does Schaffa do in the chamber where the Guardians are kept?

7. Why did Houwha believe that the other Conductors disrespected Gallat?

8. What does Essun use to control the Obelisk Gate in opposition to Nassun?

9. Where did the tuners go on their trip to Site Zero?

10. What did the Earth intend to do during the activation of the Plutonic Engine?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chapter 1 concludes with an interview between an old woman and an unnamed scribe. Write an essay explaining the importance of the interviewee’s statement to the themes and events of the novel. What ‘cycle’ is the old woman talking about? Which of the protagonists best exemplifies her approach?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the use of the term ‘rogga’ by different characters in the novel. What does the term connote generally? How can different speakers mean different things when they say it? How do orogenes differ in their use of the word?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the chapters in Jemisin’s novel end with short fragments from other texts, most prominently the field notes of Yaetr Innovator Dibars. Analyze the contents of these fragments along with their surrounding chapters. How does Nemisin use these fragments to convey the attitudes of people in the Stillness? What do these fragments suggest about the setting’s culture and history?

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