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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 does Philip Lentz respond when Diana Hartrick challenges him?

2. About what does Diana chastise Richard?

3. What happens during Philip Lentz's experiment?

4. To what does Richard compare implementation A?

5. Where does Richard draw the characters for his novels?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Richard see in Lentz's office?

2. Describe the difference between Richard and C.'s letters to each other when C. goes to Europe ahead of Richard.

3. Describe the relationship between Philip Lentz and Richard.

4. Who is the main character, and what is he doing as the book begins?

5. How does Richard Powers use flashbacks in his narrative?

6. What does Helen's interpretation of 'A Poison Tree' lead Richard to think?

7. Why does Lentz not cut into Helen?

8. What advances does implementation G make after implementation F?

9. What were Richard's thoughts about getting married when he was with C.?

10. What is Richard's reaction when he finds out that Lentz has tricked him with implementation C?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Where does a conception of evil come from, and how did Richard learn it? Does he effectively teach it to Helen?

Essay Topic 2

What is missing from this book? What should have been covered or presented that was not? What is the effect of this absence? Describe an element that ought to have been covered, and explain why it would have made the book stronger.

Essay Topic 3

Why is Lentz driven to cut into Helen, and why is Richard ultimately resigned to allow him to? Why do men have to kill, or at least pry into, the things they create and come to love?

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