How High We Go in the Dark: Full-Book Quiz — 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes

Welcome to the full-book quiz for Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark. This quiz covers plot, character motivation, themes, and synthesis across the novel's interconnected chapters. After the questions, you'll find a complete answer key with explanations. For further study, see the book overview, questions and answers, and ending explained. ## Quiz Questions ### Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8) 1. In 30,000 Years beneath a Eulogy, what does Cliff Miyashiro do with the dogū figurine at the end of the chapter? - A. Throws it into the Batagaika Crater - B. Keeps it as a memento - C. Gives it to Dave - D. Buries it with Clara's belongings 2. In City of Laughter, what is the purpose of the Osiris coaster? - A. To euthanize infected children - B. To entertain park visitors - C. To launch a spaceship - D. To test experimental drugs 3. In Through the Garden of Memory, what do the group do with the baby they find? - A. Send it upward through a human pyramid - B. Keep it with them in the void - C. Leave it behind - D. Give it to the old woman 4. In Pig Son, what happens to Snortorious P.I.G. at the end? - A. He donates his organs and dies - B. He is transferred to federal custody - C. He escapes to the scientist's house - D. He is euthanized by Dean Hayes 5. In Elegy Hotel, what does Dennis do with his mother's body? - A. Places her in the presidential suite - B. Cremates her off the books - C. Buries her at sea - D. Donates her to science 6. In Speak, Fetch, Say I Love You, what is the significance of the robo-dog Hollywood? - A. It contains Ayano's voice recordings - B. It was a gift from Aki to his father - C. It is the only robo-dog that can speak - D. It is a prototype for a new model 7. In A Gallery a Century, a Cry a Millennium, what do the narrator and Yumi do during the centuries-long journey on the starship? 8. In Before You Melt Into the Sea, what does the narrator do with Mabel's bone debris after liquefaction? ### Character Motivation (Questions 9–13) 9. Why does Cliff Miyashiro travel to Siberia in 30,000 Years beneath a Eulogy? - A. To continue his daughter's research - B. To escape his grief - C. To find a cure for the plague - D. To meet Dave 10. Why does Skip agree to operate the Osiris ride for Fitch in City of Laughter? - A. To give Fitch a special final ride - B. Because he is forced by security - C. To prove himself to the park manager - D. Because he is paid extra 11. Why does the scientist in Pig Son teach Snortorious P.I.G. to communicate? - A. Because he is grieving his son and seeks connection - B. Because he wants to advance scientific knowledge - C. Because the pig is a valuable asset - D. Because he is bored 12. Why does Dennis decline to move home to care for his mother in Elegy Hotel? - A. Because he is estranged from his family and avoids responsibility - B. Because he is too busy at the hotel - C. Because he doesn't love her - D. Because he wants to stay with Val 13. Why does the world builder reveal her identity to her husband in The Scope of Possibility? - A. Hoping to reunite with Nuri - B. To confess her sins - C. To ask for forgiveness - D. To share her true self before he dies ### Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17) 14. What does the dogū figurine represent for Cliff in 30,000 Years beneath a Eulogy? - A. A protective talisman and connection to Clara - B. A scientific artifact - C. A religious icon - D. A good luck charm 15. In City of Laughter, what does the Osiris coaster symbolize? - A. The commodification of death - B. The joy of childhood - C. The power of technology - D. The hope for a cure 16. In Through the Garden of Memory, what does the human pyramid represent? - A. Collective effort and hope for escape - B. The futility of struggle - C. The strength of individuals - D. The randomness of fate 17. In The Scope of Possibility, what does the world builder's shape-shifting symbolize? - A. The cost of creation and the burden of immortality - B. The adaptability of life - C. The power of evolution - D. The inevitability of change ### Synthesis (Questions 18–20) 18. In both Speak, Fetch, Say I Love You and Melancholy Nights in a Tokyo Virtual Cafe, what role do recorded voices or AI avatars play in preserving the dead? 19. Compare how Cliff in 30,000 Years beneath a Eulogy and the scientist in Pig Son cope with the loss of a child. 20. How does the novel connect the Arctic plague to climate change and environmental catastrophe? ## Answer Key 1. A. Throws it into the Batagaika Crater. Explanation: Cliff walks to the crater and throws the dogū figurine in, symbolizing his release of grief and connection to Clara. 2. A. To euthanize infected children. Explanation: The Osiris coaster is used to end the lives of children infected with the Arctic plague. 3. A. Send it upward through a human pyramid. Explanation: The narrator sends the baby upward, hoping it will return to the living world. 4. A. He donates his organs and dies. Explanation: Snortorious P.I.G. chooses to return to the lab and donate his organs, dying under anesthesia. 5. A. Places her in the presidential suite. Explanation: Dennis arranges for his mother's body to be placed in the hotel's presidential suite for a vigil. 6. A. It contains Ayano's voice recordings. Explanation: Hollywood is a robo-dog that contains Ayano's recorded voice, used by Aki to reconnect with his father. 7. They paint murals across the ship. Explanation: The narrator and Dorrie paint murals across the starship over the centuries. 8. Crushes it for her mother. Explanation: After liquefaction, the narrator crushes Mabel's bone debris for her mother. 9. A. To continue his daughter's research. Explanation: Cliff travels to Siberia to continue Clara's work after her death. 10. A. To give Fitch a special final ride. Explanation: Skip operates the Osiris ride himself for Fitch's final ride as a gift. 11. A. Because he is grieving his son and seeks connection. Explanation: The scientist, having lost Fitch, finds a surrogate connection in the speaking pig. 12. A. Because he is estranged from his family and avoids responsibility. Explanation: Dennis declines to move home, reflecting his estrangement and avoidance. 13. A. Hoping to reunite with Nuri. Explanation: The world builder reveals her identity to her husband in his final moments, hoping to reunite with her daughter Nuri. 14. A. A protective talisman and connection to Clara. Explanation: The dogū figurine serves as a protective talisman and a link to Clara. 15. A. The commodification of death. Explanation: The euthanasia park and its coaster turn death into a commercial attraction. 16. A. Collective effort and hope for escape. Explanation: The human pyramid represents the group's collective effort and hope to escape the void. 17. A. The cost of creation and the burden of immortality. Explanation: The world builder's shape-shifting causes unintended harm, reflecting the cost of creation. 18. They preserve the voice/personality of the deceased, allowing the living to maintain connection. Explanation: In both chapters, recorded voices and AI avatars keep the dead present for the living. 19. Cliff continues his daughter's work and ultimately sacrifices himself; the scientist creates a surrogate relationship with the pig and eventually lets it go. Explanation: Both cope with child loss through continued connection and eventual release. 20. The plague is released from melting permafrost, linking human-caused climate change to the pandemic. Explanation: The novel ties the Arctic plague to permafrost thawing caused by climate change.