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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 song does The Darter habitually hum as he and Nathaniel travel on the barge?

2. Which literary character does Nathaniel hear might be based on Arthur McCash later in his life?

3. Where does Nathaniel start his first paying job?

4. Who helps Nathaniel when Rachel has a seizure?

5. What does Nathaniel call the girl he meets at his restaurant job and starts a relationship with, though it is not her real name?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

3. What dramatic event occurs directly before Arthur McCash shows up in the section titled "The Mussel Boat"?

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

5. How does Nathaniel first meet the girl he comes to know as Agnes?

6. 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?

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

8. Just before Nathaniel's mother departs for Singapore, what does she start telling the children for the first time?

9. What do The Darter and Olive Lawrence eat that is quite unusual on their first dinner date, and why does Olive agree to eat it?

10. How does The Darter seem to feel about Agnes, and how does that in turn affect how Nathaniel feels about her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you think Nathaniel's decision to buy the Malakites' house in The Saints represents? What is the significance of this decision in relation to Nathaniel's quest to find out more about Rose, his mother's, life and work? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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.

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