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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 do Kris and Talia perform as an entrance fee?

2. Where does Keren take Talia?

3. What is the Hand of Fate?

4. What news do Keren and Sherrill give Talia?

5. Why does Talia choose an apartment at the top of the tower?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kris explain his relationship with Dirk and what he hopes Dirk will find?

2. What does Talia see when she wakes in the middle of the night?

3. How does Talia feel as they approach the first village and why does she feel that way?

4. What does the reader learn about Talia's life as a child and what Queen Selenay does after hearing the same information?

5. How does Talia adjudicate her first case?

6. What demonstrates the egalitarian nature of the Heralds?

7. Describe the interaction between Kris and his uncle.

8. What is unique about a horse-like animal in Valdemar?

9. Why does Talia decide to take an apartment at the top of the tower?

10. What is the worse mistake that the Queen's Own, Talamir, makes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The social mores of Valdemar have some similarities to that of the general culture of the United States and some differences. Discuss the following:

1. Define the term mores and give examples of it from your own life.

2. Write a comparison/contrast essay of the cultural mores of Valdemar compared to those of your own culture.

3. Do you think it is harmful for young people to read novels that contain contrasting or contradictory ideas from those in which the young people are raised? Discuss thoroughly.

4. Many books over the years have been banned (and consequently unbanned) in the United States because of their controversial ideas or behaviors of the characters. Do you think a book such as Arrow's Flight, with it's more liberal sexual mores, would have been banned had it been published in the 1950's? Discuss thoroughly.

Essay Topic 2

When one reads any novel (or anything at all), one brings everything from one's own past and present to the novel and in how one responds to what s/he is reading. Discuss the following:

1. How influential do you think a reader's own emotions, education, ideas and experiences influence how the reader responds to a work of fiction?

2. What about your life do you think influences you in reading Arrow's Flight? How does it influence you?

3. Do you think there is only one interpretation for any book? Discuss fully your response.

4. Do you think fiction can precipitate change in a reader? Is the change usually temporary or long lasting? Discuss your response thoroughly.

Essay Topic 3

Arrow's Flight belongs to the literary genre of fantasy fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly define the term genre and offer examples of it from your own reading experience. Why do you think it is useful to categorize fiction into genres? What could be a disadvantage of doing so?

2. What do you think is the main motivation for a person to read a fantasy novel? Is entertainment a good enough reason? Are there any other reasons to read this genre? What? Explain fully.

3. In "academe," fantasy novels are often thought of as less literary than some other genres and for that reason are sometimes "snubbed" in the study of literature. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with this "snobbery"?

(see the answer keys)

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