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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 happens to Katherine during the birth of the baby?

2. From what symptoms is Pearce suffering?

3. How successful is Merivel's first use of the plague cure?

4. What is unusual about Merivel's sexual encounter with Katherine?

5. What disease does Merivel come down with?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Merivel discover when he examines Pearce?

2. What act of bravery does Merivel commit?

3. Describe the music at the dance.

4. How does Merivel react to Piepold?

5. How are the most insane patients treated?

6. How does Merivel react to Katherine's death?

7. How does Merivel treat Katherine on their journey?

8. What is Merivel able to do at the funeral that he could not do while Pearce was alive?

9. What prompts Katherine to try to hang herself?

10. How does the King feel about Merivel, after time has passed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Religion and the presence of God is a strong motif throughout the novel. Discuss religion in the novel.

1) Compare the King to God. How are they similar? How are they different?

2) What relationship do the Quakers at the mental hospital have with God? What affect does this relationship have on Merivel?

3) What relationship does Merivel have with God and religion?

Essay Topic 2

Both Merivel and other characters have meaningful dreams in the novel. Discuss the meaning of dreams throughout the novel.

1) Merivel dreams of the King. Is the King of Merivel's dreams the King he knows in life, or does the King represent something different in Merivel's dreams?

2) What does Merivel learn from his dreams? What could Merivel learn that he is not recognizing?

3) What meanings do other characters dreams have? Why does the Quaker hospital worker dream of God, and what do his dreams mean to him?

Essay Topic 3

The characters in the novel do not always have an accurate perception of themselves or of others around them. Discuss the characters' perceptions of themselves and others.

1) How does Merivel perceive himself? Is his self-perception accurate? How does Merivel perceive the King over the course of the story? How does he perceive Celia? How does he perceive Pearce? What causes Merivel's perception of himself or others to change?

2) What is Katherine's perception of Merivel? Why does she have this perception? How does Merivel react to it?

3) How does Pearce perceive Merivel? How does the King's perception of Merivel differ from Pearce's?

(see the answer keys)

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