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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. The narrator says of Holston in Chapter 1, “And he thought, not for the first time, that neither life nor staircase had been meant for” what?

2. Holston tells Allison in Chapter 3, “If I’ve learned one thing from my job, it’s that no crime or crazy mob is ever all that” what?

3. What word used in Chapter 3 refers to the state of feeling or showing remorse?

4. The narrator states in Chapter 3 that Holston’s “wife was a wizard with computers, no doubt, but” what “was not her bag, it was his”?

5. What word in Chapter 3 refers to a serious disagreement or argument?

Short Essay Questions

1. What setting is described at the top of the stairs in Chapter 1?

2. What is the theory that Allison presents to Holston in Chapter 3?

3. What does Holston notice about the view from the holding room in the beginning of Chapter 2?

4. What theory does Holston develop for the reason the view is different in the holding room in Chapter 2?

5. What sounds are described in the beginning of Chapter 1? What tone do these sounds set for the narrative?

6. What is the protagonist doing when he is first introduced in Chapter 1?

7. How is Holston said to relate to his memories of childhood in Chapter 1?

8. What is one example the use of simile in Chapter 1? What purpose does this example serve?

9. What does Mayor Jahns say about the holding cell when she first arrives in Chapter 2?

10. How does the setting of the novel transition in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Love and Loss in Wool

a. Discuss Holston’s relationship with his wife, Allison. How close was their relationship? What were the main conflicts within their marriage?

b. In what ways does Holston’s grief over the loss of his wife drive his actions in the story? What do you think is the singular event that sets off the subsequent events in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the concept of the “self-fulfilling prophesy.” How is this idiom used as a theme in Wool? In what ways is Holston’s future laid out by his choices in Chapter 3? How do Allison’s actions result in a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Essay Topic 3

The Meaning of Appearances in Wool

a. Throughout Wool, there are clear discrepancies between what is real and what is portrayed as reality. Why do these discrepancies exist? What does Allison discover about these appearances?

b. Discuss the ending of the novel. What does Holston’s discovery mean in regard to Allison’s theories of the silo and its history?

(see the answer keys)

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