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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. The man considers his external life to be ____.

2. How old is the child on the tricycle?

3. What were the names of the boy's aunt and uncle?

4. What is the name of Gardner's secretary?

5. In which state does the story take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were some of the things that could serve as proof of the threshold and what lay beyond?

2. What happens when Cousin Frank Osborne arrives? Who is the first to disappear? What is determined by Willie?

3. What happens to Professor Gardner at Rick's Lake? Who takes on Gardner's case?

4. Why does the quest for Lang and Urquart seem fruitless and hopeless?

5. Who is the protagonist in The Shambler from the Stars? What is his main focus?

6. In the story Cold Print, the main character is Strutt. Who is Strutt? What is his personality?

7. What does Dorgan find when he goes searching for Gardner? What are Gardner's instructions?

8. Phillip discovers Julian's secret activity. What is the activity? What is Phillip's reaction?

9. After Al and Cissie sail off aboard the yacht, they disappear from the scene. What has happened to Al and Cissie?

10. What happens when Carson discovers the secret room? Who turns up in the room due to an element of evil activity? Who rids the house of the entity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several of the stories mention ancient and/or forbidden texts, such as the infamous Necronomicon. Which other texts are mentioned? Which is the most referenced? Which is the most powerful? Does the text actually exist? If so, is the text available to the public? Why do the characters feel compelled to locate the texts? The characters often find the need to translate the texts. In which languages were the texts written? How can one be sure that the text is genuine? How can one be sure that the translation is correct? What might happen if a translation is incorrect? Also discuss the purpose and use of the texts in various stories.

Essay Topic 2

There are several examples of what might be considered as "fan fiction." An excellent example is "The Shadow from the Steeple" in which the author continues a story that was started by Lovecraft. Discuss the purpose of fan fiction. Is it considered to be stealing or flattery? What might an author think about fan fiction? Do you think including the story in the collection is a sign of approval?

Essay Topic 3

In several stories inanimate objects are linked to some force of evil. Examples of the inanimate objects include the Black Stone in "The Black Stone," the Shining Trapezohedron in "The Haunter of the Dark" and "The Shadow from the Steeple," and the statuette in "The Call of Cthulhu." Discuss the possibility of evil being linked to an inanimate object. Is it possible? Is the item enchanted? How could it happen? Are any of the items able to be destroyed? Explain. How does each item affect the characters in the stories? How do the characters change once they come into contact with the objects? Explain.

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