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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. How did Gerald convince his mother to allow him to go fishing with Taki?

2. What did fishermen use to calm the waters around their small boats?

3. What was "Bootle-bumtrinket?"

4. During the presentation of the donkey, what did Margo keep talking about?

5. Where would Larry Darrell rather have gotten together for the family meeting?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is a China-mark moth? What makes this moth unique?

3. What was the "hypocritical prayer?" What did Gerald observe about this creature?

4. How did Gerald's family react to the seahorses? What unusual thing did Theodore teach Gerald about seahorses?

5. Why did George introduce Gerald to Theo Stephanides? What did Gerald hope to learn from Theo?

6. Why did the narrator, Gerald, and his family go to Greece? Where in Greece did they settle? What details did the narrator give about their 'home away from home'?

7. Who is Taki Thanatos? How did Gerald meet him? What did the two share in common? Where did Taki want to take Gerald?

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

9. 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?

10. What did Gerald do upon catching a seahorse while fishing with Kokino? Where did he find them? How many seahorses did he find in all, and what did he do with them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Larry is the oldest child in the family, and Gerald's oldest brother. Write a character sketch for Larry. Include his role in the family, his various interests, and his most noticeable personality traits. Also draw your own conclusions about his behavior, his feelings about his family, and specifically his feelings for Gerald.

Essay Topic 2

Before Chapter Four, Durrell has placed a quote from Professor Anstead, "Hospitality is, indeed, now no less than in classical times, a sacred duty in these islands, and it is a duty more conscientiously performed." How does this quote apply to the Durrell family? What are some examples of the hospitality they have offered to guests? What kinds of hospitality have been offered to them?

Essay Topic 3

The final section of the book is entitled "Mail." What is in this chapter? Why is it important to the memoir? What do we know after reading the mail about the family and about Corfu?

(see the answer keys)

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