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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 kind of act does Lester Lamb perform at the veterans club in Chapter V?

2. It is January of what year that the Lambs succeed in driving the competing grocer out of business in Chapter V?

3. The historical figure of Guy Fawkes was a member of what plot?

4. The Lamb family plants a garden and raises what animals in their half of the yard in Chapter III?

5. What nation has surrendered, leading to the end of the war in Chapter IV?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is foreshadowed through the character of the black man that appears in Chapter III?

2. What scene is depicted in the brief section prior to the opening of Chapter I?

3. How are the characters of Lester and Oriel Lamb introduced in Chapter II? What is their family doing when they are introduced?

4. Who moves into Cloudstreet after Quick Lamb has left home in Chapter V? How is this character introduced?

5. What is noteworthy about the narratives of Quick and Fish Lamb in Chapter IV?

6. How is Fish’s mental state transformed in Chapter V? What has led to this transformation?

7. How does the author examine the themes of heredity and family in Chapter I?

8. What theme is introduced through the character of Rose Pickles in the beginning of Chapter I?

9. How do the Pickles family members differ from the Lambs in their perception of luck, as noted in Chapter III?

10. What is the central event that dominates Chapter II? Why is this event important in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Oriel’s family history as revealed in Chapter III. What did Oriel do during World War I? Who died in that war that Oriel loved? How has Oriel’s past influenced her actions in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the history of Australia and its original inhabitants, the Aborigines, of the region. How have Aborigines in Australia been discriminated against historically? How has this changed in the past several decades? What rights did Aborigines have during the time period in which the novel is set?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the family history of Dolly Pickles in the novel. What secret does Dolly reveal to Rose about her mother? How has Dolly’s past influenced her actions in the story? Do you think that Dolly is an empathetic character? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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