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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. Once the narrator was joined by another train passenger, the passenger was described using what adjective?

2. The narrator told Darvot and Carnehan that the country to which the two men were headed was full of what kind of people?

3. Carnehan remarked that the contract forbade he and Dravot from getting involved with how many of the "things that make life worth having" (19)?

4. Carnehan tells the narrator that he and Dravot had seen what sign of life within the newspaper office?

5. The passenger who joined the narrator was said to have "an educated taste for" (4) what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What aspect of society are Dravot and Carnehan hoping to escape by traveling to distant lands?

2. In what way does the theme of motherhood and family arise within the conversation between the narrator and the other man?

3. With what weapons do Dravot and Carnehan arm themselves as they set out for Kafiristan?

4. Give an example of Kipling's use of physical space to create humor.

5. What is the narrator's reward for delivering the requested message?

6. How does the theme of appearance versus reality enter the narrative within Carnehan's return?

7. In what way does the theme of ambition arise within the scene in the newspaper office when the narrator, Carnehan, and Dravot meet together?

8. Provide a brief feminist analysis of the text up to this point.

9. What is the tenet of the "Contrack" (17) between Dravot and Carnehan focusing on vices??

10. Between what two locations is the narrator traveling at the start of the story and at what location does another passenger enter his car?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the function of Billy Fish's character within Kipling’s story? Discuss the characterization methods Kipling uses in order to depict Billy Fish and the reasons he does so.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of Kipling's story and analyze Kipling’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Kipling’s messages about guilt and responsibility within the story. Focus especially on events such as Carnehan’s journey back through the mountains as he hallucinates that the deceased Dravot is leading him by the hand to safety.

(see the answer keys)

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