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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 does Kerans use to navigate his journey?

2. What action does Kerans undertake as Beatrice and Riggs ascend the ladder?

3. What does the individual in the temple reveal to Kerans?

4. How long does Kerans continue his journey despite the pain in his leg and lack of sleep?

5. What does Riggs intend to do with Strangman in Chapter 13?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kerans see in the old planetarium?

2. What brings Strangman to the lagoon and why does he invite Kerans to dinner?

3. How does Kerans react when Sergeant Macready spots him and the dynamite?

4. What is Strangman doing during the two weeks Kerans watches him?

5. What does Kerans do after the explosion and what does he say to Beatrice?

6. How does Kerans care for Lieutenant Hardman during the days they spend together?

7. What does Kerans notice about Strangman's skin?

8. How does Beatrice respond to the drained lagoon and what does Kerans propose as an alternative?

9. How does the narrator depict Kerans as he ventures deeper into the jungle?

10. What does Kerans discover when he returns to his penthouse room in the hotel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Drowned World, Ballard portrays a world in which the boundaries between human and animal, conscious and unconscious, begin to break down. Discuss the theme of metamorphosis in the book and its significance for the characters.

Essay Topic 2

In The Drowned World, the characters are often forced to confront their own mortality. Discuss the theme of mortality in the book and how it affects the characters.

Essay Topic 3

How does the breakdown of society in The Drowned World reflect the breakdown of human civilization? What does this say about human nature?

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This section contains 804 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample