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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 is Warren the Second?

2. Who is Bunny's best friend?

3. What do Quoyle and Bunny think about going back to New York?

4. Why is Quoyle called to the school?

5. What song does Yark half-sing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Comment on the destruction of the green house on the point.

2. In what way is Bunny's attention-seeking during the restaurant dinner important?

3. What is important about Quoyle's encounter with Cousin Nolan?

4. What behaviors show the reader how the relationship between Quoyle and Wavey is developing?

5. For Quoyle, what are the outcomes of his misadventure with the 'speedboat'?

6. What interesting plot lines are dealt with in this chapter?

7. What secret is exposed during the visit to St John's?

8. Comment on Jack Buggit's 'resurrection'.

9. In what way does Quoyle fail Nutbeem?

10. What good personal quality of Quoyle's almost costs him his life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

THE SHIPPING NEWS shows us contrasting practices in the rearing of children. Explain and discuss the way in which Quoyle was raised and contrast this with the way he raises his own children. You could also refer to the parenting skills of Wavey and Beety. What do these differences show us about (a) changes in society and (b) changes in individuals?

Essay Topic 2

THE SHIPPING NEWS shows us a range of striking characters.

1) What are the usual ways in which writers represent important traits in the characters they create?

2) Choose two characters in THE SHIPPING NEWS and examine the way Annie Proulx reveals them to the reader/responder. What techniques does she employ to introduce and sustain characters? In what ways does she sustain the readers' interest in their lives?

Essay Topic 3

THE SHIPPING NEWS is a novel that successfully presents a web of sub-plots. Of the sub-plots in the novel, identify and discuss two.

1) What functions do these sub-plots perform in the novel? Do they support the main narrative stream, complement it or provide contrast?

2) Do you consider that sub-plots enrich our enjoyment of narrative texts?

(see the answer keys)

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