View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the narrator hear as she makes her way to the door?

2. What does the narrator think is insane?

3. What does the narrator see being taken in an ambulance?

4. What excuse does the narrator give to the police officer to justify her presence there?

5. What does the narrator wonder about her daughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mr. Thabane advise the narrator to put a jacket over her head?

2. What does the narrator recall about her daughter?

3. What does John ask when he comes downstairs?

4. What does the narrator wonder about her ability to love?

5. Who does Florence dress as at the start of Part Four?

6. What is the narrator told when she asks who is responsible?

7. What does the policeman at the roadblock tell the narrator?

8. What does the narrator explain over tea?

9. Where do Mr. Vercueil and the narrator drive?

10. What horrific scene do they encounter when they walk?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss why Vercueil acted as a guide or mentor to Mrs. Curren and how he influenced her.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of cancer in "Age of Iron" and why Coetzee chose to use a terminal disease to show the relationship with apartheid, believed a disease of hatred.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the correlation between Mrs. Curren's act of writing letters and her self preservation in the "Age of Iron".

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 590 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample