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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. Who do Nathaniel and his sister find in their house in London when they arrive after running away from school?

2. What is a rumor that Nathaniel hears about Arthur McCash?

3. What is Olive Lawrence's effect on Nathaniel's view of women?

4. What does The Moth suggest Nathaniel do during school holidays at the end of the section titled "Hell-Fire"?

5. Where does Nathaniel start his first paying job?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Nathaniel remember about Rose packing her steamer trunk for her trip to Singapore?

2. What does Arthur McCash tell Nathaniel that startles him when McCash surprises Nathaniel at Victoria Station?

3. What does Nathaniel's and Rachel's brief time alone with their mother just before she leaves for Singapore feel like for Nathaniel?

4. Where does Arthur McCash find Rachel and who is she with when he looks for her in the Bark Theater?

5. What does Nathaniel particularly remember about Olive's temperament from his childhood?

6. Why is Rachel so upset at the end of Part I of the book, as she and Nathaniel are whisked away from the Bark Theater?

7. What story does Nathaniel's mother tell her children about the family of roofers who worked on her childhood home?

8. How does The Moth react when Nathaniel and Rachel turn up unexpectedly at the house in London when they should be at school?

9. How does Olive tell Nathaniel she will stay in touch with he and Rachel after she leaves London, and does she make good on her word?

10. What does Agnes leave in Nathaniel's trouser pocket at the end of the section titled Agnes Street?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do Nathaniel's journeys on the River Thames with The Darter connect to his later work as an adult with British Intelligence? Write an essay exploring the relationship between these two experiences, citing references to to the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

The language in Warlight is vivid and sometimes very specific in its use of imagery at significant moments, as when, for example, Nathaniel tugs the sprig of rosemary from a bush in Mrs. Malakite's garden, rubs it, inhales it, and puts it in his shirt pocket (126). Write an essay analyzing how Ondaatje uses specific language to connect different events and characters, citing specific examples to the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

How does Nathaniel's work at Britain's classified archives affect his perception of both his country's and his mother's work during and after WWII? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text.

(see the answer keys)

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