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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 idea is commonly associated with Agartha?

2. Why doesn't Mr. Garamond agree to publish Bramanti's work?

3. Why is Belbo wary about going to the party Lorenza invites him to?

4. What is the name of the occult book series published by Mr. Garamond's vanity press?

5. Who or what is Abulafia?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Plan?

2. What is Casaubon doing, as the novel opens?

3. How does Casaubon unlock Belbo's computer?

4. What changed, in Italy, during the time that Casaubon was living in Brazil?

5. Why are the Rosicrucians so difficult to research, compared to the Knights Templar?

6. What information does Colonel Ardenti relay to Casaubon and Belbo?

7. What happens at the religious ceremony to which Aglie invites Casaubon and Amparo?

8. Why does Casaubon meet with Belbo and Mr. Garamond in Chapter 38?

9. How did the official end of the Knights Templar occur?

10. Who is Casaubon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Plan begins as a game, but eventually leads to the deaths of all four main characters. How does the Plan transform from a hobby, into a deadly reality? Why does Belbo begin to believe that the Plan is real? What message is the author trying to convey, via the deaths of these four characters? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Amparo values reason over spirituality and mysticism, and is so embarrassed by her possession experience that she leaves Casaubon and never returns. Why is she so mortified by this experience? Why does she value reason so highly? What about her culture makes her more inclined toward mysticism, and why does she oppose those impulses? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss some of the literary devices employed by the author in the novel (flashbacks, foreshadowing, symbolism, etc.) How effective is the author's use of these devices, and why? Where were they used in the novel, and to what end? Do these elements flow naturally within the text, or do they seem forced or poorly transitioned? Why? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

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