View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the onyx obelisk recognize in Essun that persuades it to side with her when she resists Nassun at Corepoint?

2. What power does Nassun use to summon an obsidian wall between herself and Essun?

3. What happens to people who are too injured to keep up with the rest of Castrima?

4. How does Nassun respond when Essun asks if she is alright?

5. What did Kelenli want to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who interrupts Nassun as she attempts to activate the Obelisk Gate?

2. Why does Essun say that the biggest problem with living in Rennanis is that “Castrima must live amid the corpses of its conquered” (278)?

3. While Nassun is distracted, what does Schaffa do in the chamber where the Guardians are kept?

4. What does Lerna notice about Essun once everyone is settled in Rennanis?

5. How does Steel explain Schaffa's longevity compared to other Guardians?

6. What does the Earth do after it agrees to peace with humanity?

7. As Danel and Essun eat dinner before entering the desert, Danel explains that she wants to travel with Essun to close the Rifting. Why does Danel want to come along?

8. How does Kelenli describe the relationship between the tuners and the Niess when she explains the history of the Niess to the tuners?

9. Why does Essun object when Danel uses the word rogga during their last conversation before entering the desert?

10. How did the Sylanagistine feel towards the Niess?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters in the novel have the power of tuning and orogeny and each of these characters offers a different perspective on these powers. Choose two characters from the novel who can use orogeny or tuning. Compare and contrast any statements, observations or actions they perform regarding their status. In your analysis, explain what we may infer from the similarities and differences in their attitudes.

Essay Topic 2

In Syl Anagist: Zero, Hoa says, “But sometimes, when the world is hard, love must be harder still” (Jemisin 321). Explain the meaning of this quote, both in its immediate context and in the context of the novel as a whole. How do different characters demonstrate this idea? How can we apply it to the novel’s resolution?

Essay Topic 3

Jemisin describes a society where characters must depend on each other daily to survive. Write an essay examining the role interdependence plays in the novel. Provide a working definition of interdependence and analyze how it both creates and resolves conflict between characters.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 689 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample