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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. Where did Gerald first pay attention to donkeys on the island?

2. Where were the narrator's family members meeting as the story opens?

3. Who was George?

4. What did Taki say to Gerald as he left the boat at the end of Chapter Two?

5. How did the water-spider Gerald caught decide where to build her home?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who did Margo and Gerald discover lived on Mouse Island? How did they first discover this person? How did they eventually appease this inhabitant's ire?

2. What was "catching cuttlefish with love?" How did it work? What was Gerald's response to this interesting fishing style?

3. What did Gerald do with the crab he and Roger discovered on one of their walks? What did Gerald find fascinating about the crab that led him to further exploration?

4. Who is the narrator of the story? What do we learn about him in the opening "Conversations?" Where is his home?

5. Who was Sally? Where did Sally come from? How did the name Sally come to be? Why was Gerald excited to have Sally as a member of the household?

6. What did Gerald and Theo discover on their excursion to the lake? Why was this discovery exciting for Gerald?

7. Who was Roger? How did Gerald meet Roger? What did Gerald and Roger do together on the island?

8. Who was Kokino? What does Kokino mean in Greek? What did Kokino and Gerald do together?

9. How did Leslie react to settling into their new home? What did he set about to do while in Corfu? How did his mother react to this plan?

10. What was the set pattern Theo and Gerald had established for their excursions? What was the first thing they did when settling into a new spot?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The opening chapter, "Conversations" gives the reader important information about the Durrell family and the chapters to come. Who is introduced in this first chapter, and what is the "conversation" about? How does this chapter relate to the rest of the book?

Essay Topic 2

Gerald says upon introducing Theodore Stephanides to his story, "...someone who was going to become immediately the most important person in my life. To me, Theodore was one of the most remarkable people I had ever met." Explain who Theodore Stephanides is, and why he is so important in Gerald's life.

Essay Topic 3

Durrell dedicated his memoir to Theodore Stephanides. Who was Theodore Stephanides in Durrell's life? Why do you think Durrell dedicated his book to him?

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This section contains 1,145 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample