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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 is it about Ramsey that makes Tagomi unwilling to share all the information about Baynes with him?

2. In Chapter 6, Tagomi is now convinced that Baynes really is ___________.

3. What is discovered as being the source of W-M Corporation's real profit?

4. According to Tagomi, what aspect of the German massacre of the Jews caused the Japanese to refuse to participate?

5. What upsets Tagomi causing him to leave the special session of the Foreign Office?

Short Essay Questions

1. Bigotry is common and accepted without question in the former United States of Philip Dick's world. How does the author reveal this? What seems to be the reason behind this?

2. What appears to be the source of Juliana's depression at the start of Chapter 3? Why might this be considered to be ironic?

3. One aspect of science fiction is that there is an element of the real world in it. What similarities can be seen in World War II and its aftermath as related in the High Castle and the history as we know it?

4. How do Childan's and Frank's perception of the Germans and the Japanese differ? What motivates these views?

5. What does the reader learn about the fate of the Slavs and Africans? In what way is Dick continuing to keep his "fiction" tied to reality? What comment might he be making about some of the realities of true USA history?

6. The voice of the radio quotes from The Bible, "What profit it a man if he gain the whole world but in this enterprise lose his soul?" How does this apply to what we have witnessed of this world in Chapter 1?

7. What new insight does Chapter 5 give the reader into the character of Baynes? What might this be foreshadowing?

8. When told by the university that "there is a regular industry turning out these fakes," Childan gets angry and insists that this is only a rumor. Why is he in such denial even when the proof lies before him?

9. What is Childan's plan when he makes an appointment with his supplier, Ray Calvin? What does this further reveal about his character? Do you feel this is a realistic reaction?

10. How does Baynes react to Tagomi's apartment? How do his thoughts and reactions to Tagomi's possessions and comments further define his character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Science fiction is often said to have at its foundation a strong connection to the real world. Upon what historical realities did Philip Dick draw? What are some of the specific parallels he makes between Abendsen's world and his own? By doing this, how does this novel equally become a criticism of our own history?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of Good vs Evil is a common motif in literature. Explain how this theme is represented in the novel The High Castle. Who or what represents the Good? Who or what represents the Evil? Is the line clearly drawn between the two? Based upon the characters and events he gives the reader, what can we conclude about Philip Dick's theories about the Good vs Evil conflict?

Essay Topic 3

The title of Abendsen 's novel is an allusion to Ecclesiastics, Chapter 5, verses 5-7 from the King James version of the Bible. This translates to say:

"Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way .... and the grasshopper be a burden, and desire shall

fail ...Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

Explain the significance of this allusion as it relates to The High Castle and its inner story, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. Be specific in explaining how the above Biblical excerpt relates to the characters and the world in which they live.

(see the answer keys)

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