View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the first person that the Cleary family meets when they arrive in Gillanbone?

2. Which of the following does Mary Carson not provide for Paddy's family?

3. The "Thorn Birds" spans three generations of what family?

4. What happens when the oldest son runs away?

5. What color is Meggie's party dress?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Father Ralph's visit to Drogheda like?

2. Why do Meggie and Stuart stop attending school?

3. What does Paddy tell Father Ralph about his past with Fiona?

4. What are the land and climate like?

5. Describe Mary Carson's relationship with her brother, Paddy.

6. What are the negative aspects for Meggie of living a clannish existence on their farm?

7. In Chapter 2, there are two specific ways in which Meggie seems to experience discrimination. What are those two ways?

8. What happens to Frank at the district's social event?

9. What is Father Ralph's dilemma regarding Mary Carson's second will?

10. What is life like for Fiona at Drogheda?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Meggie's relationships with the following boys/men in her life:

1) Paddy.

2) Father Ralph.

3) Luke.

4) Hal.

5) Frank.

Essay Topic 2

You have been given the task of summarizing a character or characters from this novel in two or three paragraphs. Focusing on the character(s) of your choice, who will you write about? What will you highlight? Why did you choose the character(s) that you chose? Then summarize the character(s) you selected.

Essay Topic 3

Who do you think is the most tragic character in the book? Why would you pick this particular character? Give examples from the book that highlight what makes this character particularly tragic.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 888 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample