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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. John and Sylvia intensified their suffering by

2. Einstein said:

3. Sylvia says she thinks the Narrator looks like he saw a

4. In his teaching, an essay was to be developed from the basis of

5. Phaedrus' academic goal in University was to

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the difference between "What's new?" and "What is best?" What type of answer might you get to each question? Which question would you prefer to ask your friends? Which question would you rather have people ask you?

2. Summarize how Poincaré's ideas fit closely to Phaedrus' ideas--like two sides of a jigsaw puzzle.

3. Goethe's poem captures what may be at stake for the Narrator and Chris on this trip or at this point in their lives. Use the discussion of Chris, the ideas of Phaedrus up to this point, and what is said about the poem to explain how the poem captures what is going on in the Narrator's mind.

4. What are some of the things John likes about Miles City, Montana? What do these indicate about the city? About John?

5. In what ways is the phrase "to travel is better than to arrive" appropriate to the Narrator's trip to Bozeman?

6. Which question would you prefer to ask your friends: "What's new?" or "What is best?" Which question would you rather have people ask you?

7. What is symbolized by the riding without helmets and what is symbolized by Chris' standing on the pegs to ride the motorcycle?

8. How does the Narrator distinguish between European and Native American ghosts?

9. The Narrator chose a trip with various types of terrain as the backdrop for this book on philosophy. Every description is in the book for a reason. What does the 11,000 foot mountain summit represent? What do the switchcbacks correspond to the thinking being done at that time? Do the paved roads represent something? If so, what? What does the shining wall across the misty harbor seem to denote?

10. No two motorcycle manufacturers split up the motorcycle parts in the same way. What did the Narrator mean by this? The Narrator talks about the knife they use to split up the parts and then talks about how Phaedrus used the knife creatively, yet analytically. To what do you think the Narrator is alluding to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How can technology best be pursued and used to enrich human life rather than degrading humans? Give examples. How can technology be art? Can you think of some examples?

Essay Topic 2

At what point in the book did you realize that Phaedrus and the Narrator are the same person? What clues are given? At what point do the two actually merge into one and the same person in the book? Give reasons for your answer.

Essay Topic 3

What does the bottom of the ocean symbolize? Do you think the Narrator and Chris meet there? What do they find out about themselves and each other as they attempt to meet? What is the result?

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