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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. Who names Gerry's pigeon?

2. Why does Yani never sleep in the hills?

3. Why do the Durrell's want to leave the hotel as soon as possible?

4. What makes Gerald's wife laugh when reading his manuscript?

5. How old is Gerry when the family moves to Corfu?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Spiro act as the Durrell family's caretaker?

2. How did Larry attempt to help his family regain their pose, after it was shattered by Roger and the pack of dogs?

3. How are the trapdoor spiders and Dr. Theodore Stephanides two significant finds for Gerry?

4. How does Gerry describe the Strawberry-Pink Villa?

5. How were Lugaretzia and her husband like the Daffodil-Yellow Villa, and why were they there?

6. Gerald's original intent for his book was an account of the natural history on the island of Corfu. Why did that change?

7. Why was it important to Gerry's mother that he mention she was a widow?

8. In the garden, Gerry finds an earwig's nest, and posts a sign for passers by to beware and keep quiet. What words were spelled correctly on the sign, and why is that significant to his character?

9. Gerry ponders what insect movements, on top of the trapdoor, must sound like to a trapdoor spider. What were some of his ideas?

10. How do the islanders see Spiro?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Durrell family children were young when the arrived on the island of Corfu, Larry was twenty-three, Leslie nineteen, Margo eighteen, and Gerry ten. Five years later they left the island bound for England. How were the children portrayed at the beginning of the book? At the end? Explain their character growth, if any over the five year span on Corfu.

Essay Topic 2

While on Corfu, the Durrell family lived in three different villas. Explain the differences in each villa by comparing the home, gardens, and countryside of each. In theory, which was Gerry's favorite villa and why?

Essay Topic 3

Chaos often ensues in the Durrell family, such as that caused by Gerry's animals, or the fire in Larry's room. Would you theorize that on some level they enjoy the chaos? Why or why not?

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This section contains 794 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample