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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 on the roof at the inn where Sinuhe stays in Babylon?

2. What does everyone know about the opening of the pharaoh's skull?

3. How does Horemheb make money on his men after he give them their rewards?

4. In the land of the Hittites, how are the people ruled?

5. Why is the city of Hattushash unknown to outsiders?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Minea bring to Sinuhe? What does she restore in his life? Why is she an important character to his life and to his healing?

2. When Sinuhe enters the House of Life to study, what advise does he take to heart? How does this decision affect his relationships with his classmates and teachers? Is it the right way to behave or did this hurt him in the long run?

3. When Sinuhe says that a man who knows the Babylonian language can be understood throughout the world, what does this say about Babylon? If Egypt is the most powerful land on earth, then why would the Egyptian language be the most important language? What does this say about politics of the time?

4. What message do Sinuhe's parents leave behind for him? How does this make him feel? How do his parents die? Why do they do this?

5. Why does Sinuhe continue to give Nefernefernefer all he possesses? Why can he not pull himself away from her? What is her appeal to Sinuhe? What is his behavior a metaphor for?

6. How does Sinuhe defend the young prince to Horemheb? What does Sinuhe think of the young prince's beliefs? Do you think he is affected in this way because of his experiences in the House of Life? Why? Why not?

7. As the novel progresses, Kaptah begins to refer to the property of Sinuhe as "our" as in "our" house, "our" scarab and even "our" gold. What does this indicate to the reader? Does Sinuhe seem aware of these changes? If he does, does he care? Why? Why not? What does this say about their relationship?

8. What are the two truths of the young prince and Horemheb? How are they in conflict from the beginning? How does Horemheb argue with the sickly young prince about his truth when he first meets him? What does Horemheb fear of the future?

9. What does the Keeper of the Archives In Hatti tell Sinuhe about the King? What is he warning Sinuhe about? What will happen in the future for the lands around Hatti?

10. What is the scarab to Kaptah? What is the scarab to Sinuhe? How do the two belief systems differ? How does Kaptah anoint the scarab?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, the author makes direct references to the bible. He uses exact terms like, "they know not what they do" when referring to the priests. What other biblical references do you see in the novel? Why do you think the author felt it was important to interject these references when telling the story?

Essay Topic 2

What does Queen Mother Taia admit about the god Aton? Why does this information not diminish the god in Sinuhe's eyes? Why does he still believe?

Essay Topic 3

When Sinuhe opens a skull what is usually the outcome? Why is this considered good? How do the people view his work? Is his work making progress throughout the novel? How?

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This section contains 1,430 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample