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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. In what room of the house at One Cloud Street did the old woman who previously owned it die?

2. Who is said to run the grocery store like a drill sergeant, keeping a close eye on supply and demand, in Chapter III?

3. What did Sam Pickles’s father do for a living?

4. How does the schoolboy die that Quick Lamb gives his lunch to in Chapter IV?

5. What are the names of Rose’s brothers in the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the concept of “luck” perceived by the members of the Pickles family? Where did this perception of luck derive from?

2. qHow does the Lamb family perceive the concept of “fate” as seen in Chapter III?

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

4. How does Sam’s change of luck affect the outcome of events that take place in Chapter IV?

5. How does the Lamb family perceive the concept of “luck,” as seen in the second half of Chapter III? What symbolizes this perception?

6. What is symbolized by Fish’s fit during the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day in Chapter IV?

7. How do Sam’s actions in Chapter III propel the plot of the narrative forward?

8. What can the character of Rose Pickles be seen to represent symbolically in Chapter I?

9. How does Oriel Lamb respond to the departure of Quick from Cloudstreet in Chapter V?

10. What are Rose Pickles’s perceptions of her parents, as seen in Chapter I of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of luck as perceived by the Lamb and Pickles families in the novel. How is this theme symbolized by the spinning of the butter knife by the Lamb family? What role does luck play in the establishment of the grocery store? How do the Pickles differ in their perceptions of luck?

Essay Topic 3

How is the theme of “luck” illustrated through the character of Sam Pickles? What are Sam’s feelings about the malleability of luck? How does Sam’s luck influence the events in the story? What symbolism supports this theme?

(see the answer keys)

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