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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 did the people of Syl Anagist treat the tuners during the tuners' field trip?

2. According to Hoa, why did Alabaster flee the Fulcrum?

3. Why does Steel oppose Nassun's plan to make Schaffa a stone eater?

4. What will happen once Schaffa's corestone has been removed?

5. What does Nassun see fused with the Earth's core?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When Steel, Antimony and Hoa meet, what reasoning does Steel give for manipulating Nassun?

3. What does Lerna notice about Essun once everyone is settled in Rennanis?

4. How does Nassun react when Essun is transformed by the power of the Obelisk Gate?

5. What hardships happen to the people of Castrima as they travel through the desert?

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

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

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

9. What was the testing bore that Houwha saw at Site Zero?

10. How does Steel explain Schaffa's longevity compared to other Guardians?

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

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?

Essay Topic 3

In their final confrontation, Essun enrages her daughter Nassun by hesitating to help her with the Obelisk Gate. This leads to their opposing attempts to activate it as well as Essun’s ultimate fate. Analyze Nassun’s struggle to forgive her mother and explain how this struggle shapes the novel’s climax. Why does Nassun struggle to forgive Essun? What does this lead both characters to do? What does Nassun ultimately decide? What does this suggest about her feelings towards her mother?

(see the answer keys)

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