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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 does Ford order that Arthur doesn't want to eat?

2. What does Old Thrashberg say is needed to attract the attention of a Perfectly Normal Beast?

3. What quality does the new Guide have that causes it to be in every possible universe?

4. What does Tricia make a model of on the alien computer system on Rupert?

5. What color is the Vogon constructor ship?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the monument that marks the location where the species Vogon Vogonblurtus first appeared.

2. What comes out of the trees toward Random, as she goes through the woods?

3. How was Ford saved the second time he jumped out the window of the Guide building?

4. What does Random find at the crash site?

5. What sort of review does Ford give the Bar & Grill?

6. How does Arthur use Ford's towel to attract a Perfectly Normal Beast?

7. What is odd about the Perfectly Normal Beast?

8. What does Tricia learn when she calls her television station from the editing booth?

9. What worries Ford about what's happened during his visit to the Guide?

10. How does Ford get the new Guide out of the Guide offices?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mostly Harmless is a humorous novel. Discuss the author's humor and how he uses humor in the novel.

1) What kinds of humor does the author use? How are the characters, situations, and ideas in the novel humorous?

2) How does the ending, and the destruction of Earth, fit in with the humorous nature of the novel?

3) What kinds of liberties does humor allow the author to take? How does humor allow the author to create wildly improbable situations and events?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss communication in the novel.

1) What types of failures of communication appear in the novel? How do Ford and Arthur fail to communicate with each other?

2) How do Arthur and Random fail to communicate with each other? Why does Random have such difficulty communicating?

3) What is the relationship between differing perspectives and failed communication in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Tricia and Trillian are two possible lives of one person. Discuss Tricia and Trillian in the novel.

1) How are Tricia and Trillian similar? How are they different? What does this say about the effect of external factors on personality and identity?

2) What roles do randomness and chance play in Tricia and Trillian's fate? What does this say about the nature of randomness and chance?

3) How would Tricia and Trillian react to each other if they met and got a chance to interact? What would they think of each other?

(see the answer keys)

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