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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. What positive effect does the smell of Jack's hands have?

2. What does Derek initially think is the cause of the smell in Jack's house?

3. What does the woman Jack runs into in the shops think of him?

4. What activity begins when Jack's hands begin to smell?

5. After Mother's body is hidden, who begins writing to Mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the girls say about Jack and Tom's appearances when they are dressing Tom like a girl?

2. What conversation does Jack have with Tom after being awakened by Tom's fake crying?

3. Discuss the siblings' eating habits for the week following their mother's death.

4. Explain the incident involving a frog in the garden.

5. How is Tom's baby-like behavior affected by Julie's willingness to treat him like one?

6. Describe Jack's recurring nightmare.

7. What is Derek's solution to covering the rotting smell? What do the kids tell him the smell is?

8. How does the book end?

9. Jack thinks his hands smell like rotten meat. What does he do? What is really causing the smell?

10. What does Derek say and how does he act when he catches Julie and Jack naked together?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A protagonist has heroic qualities and an antagonist has villain qualities. Discuss the protagonist in The Cement Garden. Discuss the antagonist in the story as well.

Essay Topic 2

What are static and dynamic characters? Name the static and dynamic characters in this novel and discuss what about each makes them either static or dynamic.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the two oldest siblings and the two youngest ones.

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