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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 is the only thing Rachel will say about Rose after the incident at the Bark Theater?

2. What was written on Rose Williams' gravestone?

3. What was the newspaper that the local Reverend produced?

4. What is the term for a village that suffered no casualties during the war?

5. What does Nathaniel see on The Darter's wall that reveals what is really going on?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Nathaniel most wish to find a way to track down from what he discovers in the archives?

2. In the section titled "In the Archives," what does Nathaniel feel he has lost along with any details about his mother's work in the war?

3. How does Nathaniel feel about The Darter after their meeting as adults, when Nathaniel finally tracks The Darter down?

4. Who finds Rose's body and what does that person do following the discovery?

5. What does Sam Malakite do for Nathaniel at Rose's funeral?

6. Why is Nathaniel interested in the sea pea plant?

7. In the section titled "Arthur McCash," what does Arthur tell Nathaniel about the night he was at the dance club in Bromley and he thought he had glimpsed Rose?

8. What was Nathaniel's relationship with Mr. Sam Malakite like when Nathaniel was a teenager?

9. How do others in the British Intelligence Service seem to view Marsh Felon?

10. Who is one of the first people from his youth Nathaniel runs into when he starts work at the archives in the section titled "In the Archives"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing how Nathaniel's childhood and his separation from both of his parents seems to affect his relationships as an adult. Who are the people Nathaniel seems closely connected to in his adult life?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Ondaatje's decision to leave Nathaniel's father, Mr. Williams, as such a vague character. How do you think the author's choice in this regard affects the reader's understanding of Nathaniel's family's dynamic?

Essay Topic 3

What is Nathaniel's understanding about who killed Rose, and what were that person's reasons for killing her? How does Nathaniel piece together the information surrounding his mother's death, given that the government does not reveal any information to him about what really happened? Write an essay explaining your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 790 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample