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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. How does the narrator react to the funeral procession?

2. Why did the Captain leave his position as Commander?

3. Who is the funeral procession for?

4. What does the narrator conclude based on Mrs. Todd's revelation?

5. Where does Mrs. Blackett live?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the evening when Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Fosdick visit the narrator and tell the story of Poor Joanna.

2. How does narrator feel about Captain Littlepage's story?

3. What does Mrs. Todd say about Elijah and about fishermen in general at the end of Chapter 20?

4. Does Captain Littlepage believe Gaffett's story? How can you tell?

5. Which values does Elijah Tilley embody?

6. What drastic measures does Joanna take when her engagement is broken off?

7. How does Captain Littlepage spend his time while shipwrecked near the North Pole?

8. Describe the relationship between Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Fosdick.

9. Describe Elijah's feelings for his late wife.

10. What does Mrs. Todd tell the narrator about her youthful romance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When first meeting Captain Littlepage at the beginning of Chapter 5, the narrator states: "...Mrs. Todd had told me one day that Captain Littlepage had overset his mind with too much reading; she had also made dark reference to his having 'spells' of some unexplainable nature." How did her conversation with him confirm or contradict this view? Support your claims with concrete examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Dunnet is a seaside town surrounded by several islands. Discuss the various symbolic meanings of the islands mentioned in the book.

Essay Topic 3

Strength and vulnerability are two major themes of the novel. How is each characteristic illustrated within the novel, and how do they relate to each other?

(see the answer keys)

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