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Giants in the Earth

Quiz

Context

Plot Overview

Character List

Analysis of Major Characters

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

Book I, Chapter I—"Toward the Sunset"

Book I, Chapter II—"Home-Founding"

Book I, Chapter III—"Rosie!—Rosie!"

Book I, Chapter IV—"What the Waving Grass Revealed"

Book I, Chapter V—"Facing the Great Desolation"

Book I, Chapter VI—"The Heart That Dared Not Let in the Sun"

Book II, Chapter I—"On the Border of Utter Darkness"

Book II, Chapter II—"The Power of Evil in High Places"

Book II, Chapter III—"The Glory of the Lord"

Book II, Chapter IV—"The Great Plains Drinks the Blood of Christian Men and Is Satisfied"

Important Quotations Explained

Key Facts

Study Questions and Essay Topics

Quiz

Suggestions for Further Reading

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Giants in the Earth

O. E. Rölvaag

Quiz

Where do the Norwegian immigrants in the novel eventually settle?

(A) Quebec

(B) Minnesota

(D) Oregon

What was Per's former occupation in Norway?

(A) Farmer

(B) Minister

(D) Accountant

What crime does Per commit on the prairie to protect his friends and neighbors?

(A) He kills a Native American who threatens the community

(B) He removes stakes, or landmarks, that belonged to previous settlers

(D) He buys a gun illegally

What name does Per give Beret's new baby?

(A) Little Hans

(B) Anna Marie

(D) Peder Victorious

When Per dies at the end, which direction does his body face?

(A) North

(B) South

(D) West

In which decade do most events of the novel take place?

(A) 1860s

(B) 1870s

(D) 1890s

What object of Beret's does the minister use as an altar?

(A) A hearth

(B) A table

(D) A chest

What is the name of Hans Olsa's wife?

(A) Sorine

(B) Kari

(D) Beret

What does Hans ask for on his deathbed?

(A) That Per marry his wife

(B) That he be buried next to his wife

(D) That Per's dog fetch a stick for him

What destroys the settlers' crops during the summer?

(A) The children

(B) Thunderstorms

(D) Locusts

To whom does the minister compare the immigrant settlers in his sermon?

(A) Israelites

(B) Sumerians

(D) Philistines

What remarkable thing does Per do to the interior of his house?

(A) He buys new furniture for it

(B) He wires electricity in it

(D) He carpets it

How many children do Per and Beret have by the end of the novel?

(A) Two

(B) Three

(D) Five

When the locusts first arrive, what does Beret do?

(A) She starts a fire to drive them away

(B) She runs outside to get her laundry in

(D) She hides in her emigrant chest

What does Per buy from the Native Americans to resell at higher prices?

(A) Tobacco

(B) Fur

(D) Women

What event has driven Kari insane?

(A) Her husband has died

(B) She is starving

(D) She lost all her furniture

In what language was Giants in the Earth originally written?

(A) English

(B) Finnish

(D) German

When Per and Beret first arrive at the settlement, what bothers Beret the most?

(A) She does not want to live in a sod house

(B) She is afraid of the desolate land because there is nothing to hide behind

(D) There is no minister or schoolteacher in the settlement

What is the name of the Hansas' cow?

(A) Rosie

(B) Baby

(D) Daisy

What material do the settlers use to build their homes?

(A) Wood

(B) Sod

(D) Bricks

Hans and Per die during which season?

(A) Spring

(B) Summer

(D) Winter

Which creatures of Scandinavian folklore are referenced throughout the novel?

(A) Trolls

(B) Valkyries

(D) Elves

What was Rӧlvaag's occupation most of his life?

(A) Farmer

(B) Lawyer

(D) Minister

What occupation do Henry and Sam Solum pursue in the novel?

(A) They become state representatives

(B) They become schoolteachers

(D) They become vaudeville actors

Per is contrasted most sharply with what other character?

(A) His wife, Beret

(B) His son Ole

(D) His friend Tonseten

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