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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. Dolly Pickles dreams about a man with prawns in Chapter I. When the man in Dolly’s dream puts a prawn in her mouth, it turns into what?

2. Who beats up Dolly Pickles in Chapter V?

3. What does Quick Lamb begin clipping from the newspaper and hanging on his wall in Chapter IV?

4. What is Lester Lamb’s occupation in Chapter II?

5. What do the members of the Lamb family spin in order to determine who will wash dishes in Chapter III?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the luck of the Pickles family change at the end of Chapter IV?

2. What is foreshadowed through the character of the black man that appears in Chapter III?

3. How does the author examine the themes of heredity and family in Chapter I?

4. What can the character of Rose Pickles be seen to represent symbolically in Chapter I?

5. What is author Tim Winton’s focus in Chapter V? How does this chapter serve the novel?

6. How is the concept of “luck” perceived by the members of the Pickles family? Where did this perception of luck derive from?

7. How do Sam’s actions in Chapter III propel the plot of the narrative forward?

8. How does Sam’s change of luck affect the outcome of events that take place in Chapter IV?

9. What is symbolized by Fish’s fit during the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day in Chapter IV?

10. What is revealed about the character of Oriel Lamb in the second half of Chapter III?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of luck as perceived by the Lamb and Pickles families in the novel. How is this theme symbolized by the spinning of the butter knife by the Lamb family? What role does luck play in the establishment of the grocery store? How do the Pickles differ in their perceptions of luck?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the establishment of “Cloudstreet,” the small grocery store developed in the ground floor of the Pickles’ and Lambs’ home at One Cloud Street. How big is the store? What items are sold here? How successful is the business when it first opens?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the family history of Dolly Pickles in the novel. What secret does Dolly reveal to Rose about her mother? How has Dolly’s past influenced her actions in the story? Do you think that Dolly is an empathetic character? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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