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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. Who commissions Boomer's sculpture in Jerusalem?

2. To what does Abu attribute the frequent accomplishments of the Jews?

3. Who comes to Buddy's apartment the night he is supposed to leave for Jerusalem?

4. Which painting does Ellen Cherry sell for $7000?

5. What does Spoon do to prove her locomotion to the other objects in Ellen Cherry's drawer?

Short Essay Questions

1. Painted Stick strikes a human in order to save Spoon from being picked up. Explain why he feels so bad about this.

2. Describe the appeal of the belly dancer, Salome, to the male audience.

3. Without art and without Boomer, Ellen Cherry is beginning to feel that life is meaningless. What do you think Robbins is saying about the relationship between the meaning we give our lives and our endeavors and/or relationships?

4. How can we interpret the fact that the ancient Salome performs the Dance of the Seven Veils in exchange for John the Baptiste's head and the modern Salome performs it because of Ellen Cherry's painting?

5. Patsy tells Ellen Cherry that it seems like Boomer loves her but doesn't like her, while he likes but doesn't love Ultima. Does this seem like a true representation of Boomer's feelings, based on what you know about him so far?

6. Throughout the novel so far, Ellen Cherry seems to be cosmically bound to the group of objects. As they try to escape, Buddy catches two of them. Which objects does he catch and is Buddy also cosmically connected to the objects? Why?

7. Explain the final revelation evoked by The Dance of the Seven Veils.

8. Robbins says that Conch Shell plays a major role in encouraging Painted Stick to venture out and find the ocean, but all she does is look out the window. In what way do you think she provides encouragement to Painted Stick?

9. Ellen Cherry is clearly upset by the disappearance of Spoon. Explain how you think she feels.

10. What is Uncle Buddy's reasoning for attempting to blow up the Dome of the Rock?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the significance of the title. Ellen Cherry comments that Salome has skinny legs for a belly dancer. Why do you think that Robbins chose this as the defining moment of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

How does nature figure into this novel? Consider the instances where people or objects come into contact with nature or natural forces. For example, when the objects are making their way to New York, they encounter several natural obstacles along the way. Do these events (or others that involve contact with nature) have a significance beyond their function in the plot? For example, is the natural world a place where things are possible that aren't in the city? Are the events individually symbolic?

Essay Topic 3

What position does the narrator, or the novel as a whole, take on organized religion? Explain the position and find at least three pieces of supporting evidence to show how you arrived at this conclusion. If you decide that the novel is critiquing organized religion, does it offer any alternatives?

(see the answer keys)

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