ASULON STUDY GUIDE  

 This guide is free for the use of teachers and parents as a guide to the novel Asulon.

How to use this study guide.           

            At least two questions are given for each of the sixteen chapters in the novel.

 P/H. is a Political Science or History question or task.

L/C. is a Language Arts or Creative Writing question or task.  

Since there are plot details given in early questions that relate to later chapters, it is best if the novel is read in its entirety before beginning work on this study guide.

Chapter 1. THE HUNTER  

P/H. Do you hunt? Do you know a hunter? What animals do people in your state hunt for and what equipment do they use? What do they do with the animal once it is harvested? (food for family and friends, donate meat to charity, trophy, skin for rug or clothing, etc.).

 L/C. The hunter uses metaphor and simile to describe the deep forest, his favorite place in his world. Use a metaphor or simile to describe your favorite place in your world.

Chapter 2. THE TRI-HEX  

P/H. Two reforms the king brings about in chapter 2 are imposing term limits on politicians and a single retail sales tax to replace all others taxes.  What are the arguments for and against each? What is the difference between the VAT tax used in many countries in Europe and a retail sales tax? See: http://www.termlimits.org/   and  http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer 

 L/C. In this chapter the hero enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Describe a day you enjoyed with your family or friends and explain what made that time so special.

Chapter 3. THE WOLF AND THE COBRA  

P/H. Chapter 3 is about power. Some characters [like Sargon] view power solely as a tool to get more wealth for themselves and to insolate themselves from the rules of society. Other characters, [Dew in this chapter] are ideologues and desire sufficient power to force all people to believe exactly the same things that they believe. Contrast the following men; Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zei Tong, John Gotti, Napoleon Bonaparte, Pol Pot and decide whether they were motivated by ideology or by simple greed or personal aggrandizement.      

L/C. Many characters throughout the story are described with animal metaphors or similes to explain some characteristic about them. Use a metaphor or simile to describe a famous person.   

Chapter 4. WHEEL AND COMPASS  

P/H. Chapter 4 describes a "political compass" that allows you to map political systems based on their results rather than their stated ideologies. This compass has anarchy in the extreme west, totalitarian rule in the extreme east, never changing laws in the extreme north and ever changing laws in the extreme south. McGrath puts forward the argument that the Founding Fathers intended to put the United States in 1788, (when the Constitution was ratified) exactly in the center of this compass. Explain where on the compass would you put the United States today and why you would put it there?

 L/C. This chapter contains a description of the martial art used by the hero. Write a description of a specific movement in a sport you like for a person who is not familiar with that sport.    

Chapter 5. THE TOURNAMENT  

P/H. Siege weapons such as the catapult are the “high tech” weapons for the army of Asulon. What is the difference between these weapons: Ballista, Mangonel and Trebuchet? (note: YouTube has some great videos of full size reproductions of these ancient weapons in use as well as plans for building small table-top and even pocket sized models).

 L/C. Foreshadowing is a writing technique that authors use to plant a hint in an early chapter about a character or event that will be revealed in a latter chapter. Where does foreshadowing occur in chapter 5 and about which character(s) is it used?  

Answer:

1. The king gives a blessing at the tournament that should be given the following day; thereby foreshadowing his death that night.

2. Moor warns Simon about the subterfuge he plans for the tournament so that he won’t interfere. Daniel wonders how an old man like Simon could possibly interfere. This foreshadows the powers Simon will display later in the book.

Chapter 6. ASHES AT DAWN  

P/H. In this chapter the king is assassinated. We use the term assassination to refer to the premeditated homicide of a public figure. How does this differ from the murder of a non-public figure? Why do use a different term for the killing of a public figure?  

L/C. Write the beginning of this chapter (the time period when Daniel wakes up and decides to check on his parents) from the perspective of either Moor or Simon.

Chapter 7. BITTER FRUIT  

P/H This chapter contains a decision of the Asulonian Supreme Court that the hero does not agree with.  

Contrast the definition of U.S. citizen and the terms “person” and “the people” found in these U.S. Supreme Court decisions and in the 14^th Amendment.  

DRED SCOTT v. SANDFORD, 60 U.S. 393 (1856)

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=60&invol=393

UNITED STATES v. VERDUGO-URQUIDEZ, 494 U.S. 259 (1990)

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=494&invol=259

Answer:

1. Dred Scott was the infamous decision by the United States Supreme Court that held that people of African descent imported into the U.S. as slaves or their descendants—whether or not they were slaves—were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States.  

2. Verdugo-Uruidez, a citizen and resident of Mexico, was a Mexican drug lord who tortured and murdered undercover U.S. D.E.A. agent Enrique Camarena Salazar (AKA Nicky Camarena). He was arrested in Mexico by Mexican police under Mexican law and then handed over to U.S. authorities. His home was searched by Mexican authorities and evidence found there was given to the U.S. government to be used at his trial. His lawyer contended that this was an illegal search and seizure under the 4^th Amendment and that Verdugo-Uruidez was entitled to the same protections as a citizen of the U.S. claiming that the term “the people” used in the U.S. Constitution and its amendments applied to his client.    

The U.S. Supreme Court held that:  

The Fourth Amendment does not apply to the search and seizure by United States agents of property owned by a nonresident alien and located in a foreign country. Pp. 264-275.

 And that:  

The Fourth Amendment phrase "the people" seems to be a term of art used in select parts of the Constitution and contrasts with the words "person" and "accused" used in Articles of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments regulating criminal procedures. This suggests that "the people" [494 U.S. 259, 260]   refers to a class of persons who are part of a national community or who have otherwise developed sufficient connection with this country to be considered part of that community. Pp. 264-266.  

Contrary to the suggestion of amici curiae that the Framers used this phrase "simply to avoid [an] awkward rhetorical redundancy," Brief for American Civil Liberties Union et al. as Amici Curiae 12, n. 4, "the people" seems to have been a term of art employed in select parts of the Constitution. The Preamble declares that the Constitution is ordained and established by "the people of the United States." The Second Amendment protects "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms," and the Ninth and Tenth Amendments provide that certain rights and powers are retained by and reserved to "the people." See also U.S. Const., Amdt. 1 ("Congress shall make no law . . . abridging . . . the right of the people peaceably to assemble") (emphasis added); Art. I, 2, cl. 1 ("The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the people of the several States") (emphasis added). While this textual exegesis is by no means conclusive, it suggests that "the people" protected by the Fourth Amendment, and by the First and Second Amendments, and to whom rights and powers are reserved in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, refers to a class of persons who are part of a national community or who have otherwise developed sufficient connection with this country to be considered part of that community.

UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: AMENDMENT XIV.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment14/

'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. [83 U.S. 36, 44]   'No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.'  

L/C On page 123, Daniel see's something within Rachel's eyes. What is it?  

Answer: The Holy Spirit. Hints are given in the dove symbols both Rachel and Islode’ wear in the story and in the gifts they both evidence.

Chapter 8. THE TRAVELERS  

P/H The people of Asulon are able to travel within their country without needing the permission of their government. Which countries require an internal passport in order for its citizens to travel from one part of the country to another.  

Answer. Internal passports are used in Russia, China, North Korea and Ukraine.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_passport  

L/C. The author shows the lack of education of the character called Spooner through that character’s grammar and word choice.  

Take a sentence of dialog from any story you enjoy. Rewrite the sentence to make it sound as if spoken by three different characters: one with a poor education, a second a high school graduate and the third a college professor. Do this by changing the grammar and word choice while keeping the meaning of the sentence the same. 

Chapter 9. THE CITY  

P/H. Eboracium differs from other cities in Asulon in that only the police and military can carry swords there. Compare the per capita homicide rates of U.S. states with no right to carry laws with states in which getting a full concealed carry permit for a handgun is relatively easy.

(see: http://www.nraila.org/Issues/factsheets/read.aspx?ID=18  and http://gunowners.org/fs0404.htm  see also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller )  

L/C. The song, found on pages 174 to 176, is interspersed with narrative. Rewrite the section replacing as much narrative as you can with song.

Chapter 10. EYES AND EARS  

P/H. This chapter starts with a quote from the 94^th Psalm:  

He who planteth the ear, doth He not hear?

He who formeth the eye, doth He not see?  

Follow this quote to its logical conclusion and describe how it relates to the theory of Intelligent Design.  

L/C. A character in this chapter called Scupper speaks with an accent. How does the author use abbreviations, syntax, grammar, arrangement and choice of words to show Scupper’s accent?  

Take a famous speech or historical document (Gettysburg Address, Declaration of Independence, etc) and write a scene in which a character from another time and culture reads it aloud so that someone reading your story can hear this accent. Try not to use any foreign words or jargon, but instead rely only on the technique described above.

 Chapter 11. THE LEVIATHAN  

P/H. Describe a cashless society of the future. What powers would the government have in that society? What freedoms would the people loose in such a society that we have today?  

L/C. Dragons are a staple of fantasy literature. Describe a scene in which a dragon is introduced. Give it a feature that you have not read of on other dragons but that still maintains what you think a dragon should have.

Chapter 12. THE PRINCE  

P/H. Slavery is practiced in some countries in the story.  

1. What was the last country to officially outlaw slavery?  

2. Despite it being illegal in all countries today, where is slavery still widely practiced?

 Answers:  

1. Mauritania in 1981 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolition_of_slavery_timeline )  

2. Africa and India (http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=375)

 L/C. This chapter alternates a scene of horror with a humorous one, alternating tension and relief like a roller coaster. Name another story (either a book or movie) in which this technique is used and describe two contiguous scenes in which this technique is used.

Chapter 13. BEGINNINGS    

P/H. The kings of the Unicorn Kingdoms (allegorically, Western Europe) are all related by blood. Trace which royal families of modern Europe are related.

(see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_intermarriage )

 L/C. There are many allegorical parallels between the world of Asulon and our own times. Take a current issue from the news and translate it into a fantasy environment. For example a law attempting to ban firearms among civilians in today’s world could become a law banning swords in your fantasy world, (which the Emperor Antiochus attempts to do in Eretzel, the second book in The Sword of Fire Trilogy). 

Chapter 14. FIRES

P/H. Moor’s philosophy in Asulon can be summed up as Machiavellian. Who was Niccolò Machiavelli and what did he believe? *note from the author: while Machiavelli is famous for “The Price” (something of a pandering job application in my opinion),  I think you’ll find his other work, “Discourses on Livy,” both more enjoyable and closer to what Machiavelli personally believed.)

L/C. An interaction of three main characters is a mainstay of fiction. (McCoy, Spock, Kirk in the old Star Trek series; Luke, Han Solo, Obi Wan in Star Wars; Ron, Hermione, Harry in the Harry Potter series). These characters often represent aspects of body, mind and spirit in the story. The body character represents immediate emotional desires and takes the short view of events. The mind character represents logic and intellect. The spirit character represents a long term, intuitive or spiritual view of events and sets goals. In stories with a long story arc, the hero will often start as representing one element and grow to integrate all three by the end of the story, (Luke Skywalker is a good example).  

Which characters in Asulon represent the body, mind and spirit characters?

 Chapter 15. LET THERE BE GIANTS  

P/H. The Empire of the Magog (allegorically Russia in the story) calls the countries of Eastern Europe, “Glacis States”. In Renaissance era fortifications, which structure is known as a glacis and what purpose did it serve?  

L/C. There are ten countries that make up the Unicorn Kingdoms in the story.

They are:

1. Logres
2. Scandia
3. Goth
4. Iberia
5. Svartalfheim
6. Hibernia
7. Grecia
8. Belgae
9. Gaul
10. Etrusca

What are their modern counterparts? The author used historical, biblical, mythological or linguistic sources to create his place names. Use similar techniques to rename the cities or towns around your hometown.

 Answers:

1.      England (from King Arthur’s country)

2.     Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden

3.     Germany (the Goths were a German tribe in Roman times)

4.     Spain (Iberia is the Roman name)

5.     Switzerland (note from the author. This is not obvious, so I’ll explain. Svartalfheim is described in Asulon as a small, landlocked country in the middle of the Unicorn Kingdoms with fortresses hidden inside mountains and where the gold of the Unicorn Kingdoms is stored. Putting dwarves there is a bit of an inside joke. It comes from the phrase “Beware the gnomes of Zurich.”(often attributed to JFK, but it in fact comes from British PM Horold Wilson).  Svartalfheim is the land of dwarves in Norse myths

6.     Ireland (Hibernia is the Roman name)

7.     Greece (from the word “Grecian” or Greek)

8.     Belgium (the Belgae were a tribe in northern Germany that gave the name to modern Belgium via the Roman province of Gallia Belgica)

9.     France (Gaul in Roman times included France and Belgium, but is used here exclusively for France)

10.  Italy (the Etruscans were a civilization in northern Italy that predated the Romans and were later assimilated into the Roman Republic)

Chapter 16. OF MEN AND MAGIC  

P/H. There is a line in this chapter that states, “God’s law forbids fornication because an act that holds so much power is dangerous outside the safety of the fortress of marriage.”

 How does the institution of marriage act as a protective fortress?  

L/C. In many ancient myths and legends, the hero enters an earthly paradise in which he rests from his labors and receives gifts such as weapons, tools or knowledge that he will use to succeed in his quest. (see Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces

or Vogel’s “Writer’s Journey” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Writer%27s_Journey:_Mythic_Structure_For_Writers ).

 Name a modern story in which a paradise of rest, gifts or knowledge is found and describe the place and the benefit the hero receives there.  

Answer. Lothlorien in The Lord of the Rings is an obvious answer (and the gifts of lembas bread, elven rope and the light of Eärendil the heroes receives there), but one also sees this concept in movies where the garden in Second Hand Lions or the aquarium in 50 First Dates serve as the paradise. (paradise appears in The Sword of Fire trilogy in book two, Eretzel).