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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 does Emmett once jokingly compare coming back to his house after being away to?

2. What happens to break Lurie and his own true love apart?

3. Where does Nora tell Merrion Crace Josie has gone?

4. What bleak outpost does Lurie reminisce to Burke about them staying at one Christmas Eve?

5. What is a sign that a camel needs water badly?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the problem that drives Gabriela and Lurie apart in Part IV?

2. What kinds of animals harass Lurie and his party as they try to return a lost girl to her people in Part III?

3. Why does Josie seem to take such a long time getting ready to pick berries in Part IV?

4. How does Nora feel when Sheriff Harlan Bell gets married?

5. What does the doctor who tends to Burke offer Lurie for Burke in Part IV?

6. In Part III, why does Jolly ask Lurie to strike him in the jaw, but not too hard?

7. What does Doc Almenara propose to Nora in Part III when he visits her house?

8. In Part III, how does Shaw die?

9. What does Lurie come to think of as Jolly's want, even as Jolly is still alive, in Part III?

10. In Part IV, why does Nora feel guilty for having taken so long to go look for Josie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Obreht's choice to write some of Lurie's sections from a first-person perspective, with Lurie addressing his camel, Burke, directly. How does this decision affect the reader's experience?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the symbolism of Donovan's canteen, and of the visions Lurie sees in it. Cite specific references to the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What is the meaning of the word "Inland" in this novel, and why do you think Obreht uses this word as her title? Write an essay explaining your answer, keeping in mind the tone and themes of the book and citing specific references to the text to support your answers.

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