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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 long has Phlebas been dead in Part IV, Death by Water?

2. From where is Mr. Eugenides?

3. Where is the animal found creeping among the vegetation in Part III, The Fire Sermon?

4. How does the narrator describe Phlebas when he was alive?

5. What is Mr. Eugenides’s occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the main idea of the last section of Death by Water?

2. In The Fire Sermon, what does the typist do when her lover leaves?

3. What is the significance of the title Death by Water?

4. Who is Phlebas in Death by Water?

5. What does Tiresias witness in The Fire Sermon?

6. Who is Mr. Eugenides in The Fire Sermon?

7. What is the significance of the title of The Fire Sermon?

8. What do the words, “jug, jug, jug” refer to in The Fire Sermon?

9. In The Fire Sermon, what does Richmond, promise and how does the narrator respond to this?

10. How is Tiresias described in The Fire Sermon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Eliot references war many times throughout this poem. What are some of these references, and how do they affect the tone of the poem?

Essay Topic 2

Colors are mentioned a number of times in this poem. What are some of these colors, and what significance do they have?

Essay Topic 3

Historical figures are included in this poem. Who are they, and what effect does this inclusion have on the poem?

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