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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 circumstance seems to set an ominous tone for the evening for Mary?

2. What do Robert's sisters tell him he must have before eating sweets?

3. Which of the following is NOT a unique characteristic of the bar Robert takes Mary and Colin to?

4. Why does Mary make the comment, "'Thank God I'm not a man'" when she, Colin and Robert enter the bar?

5. Why do Mary and Colin not leave the cafe after the waiter shakes his head at their order?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mary tell Colin she dreams about during their daily naps?

2. Describe Robert's father (as Robert presents him in this chapter)

3. What are Mary and Colin looking for as they journey through the city? Why?

4. Describe the notebook Mary keeps as a thirteen-year-old. Why is her mind drawn to this memory while vacationing?

5. What is the significance of the smell of cologne for Robert? Why?

6. How does Robert's father react to him soiling his study? How does this make Robert feel?

7. How does the author initially describe Robert?

8. Describe the event that led Robert's sisters to despise him.

9. How are Mary and Colin's views on feminism demonstrated through their reactions to a poster hanging on the wall of a Venice building?

10. Describe Colin and Mary's nightly ritual (in the hotel room) before leaving for dinner

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are several turning points in the plot of this novel. Select two major turning points in the plot and discuss:

1) how the event is a turning point

2) how the story would be different if the event had gone in a different direction.

Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout The Comfort of Strangers Ian McEwan foreshadows the tragic final event in the novel. Select three events in the novel that foreshadow this event. Discuss how these events act as foreshadowing and how their significance becomes evident when the final scene occurs.

Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

The gallery in Robert's apartment plays an important role in the novel. It serves as a symbol on many levels. Discuss the significance of the gallery in the novel. Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 990 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample