2. What does the boy try to do after his talk with Sergeant Burke in Chapter 3?
(a) To talk to his father.
(b) To run away.
(c) To hide in his room.
(d) To talk to his mother.

3. What causes the priest to call off Larry McLaughlin's wedding?
(a) Larry isn't ready to get married.
(b) Larry has become insane.
(c) Larry doesn't want to get married.
(d) Larry has cheated on this soon-to-be wife.

4. What novel is the first book the boy has ever read?
(a) The History of Ireland.
(b) The Poor Old Woman.
(c) Paradise Lost.
(d) The Bible.

5. Where does the boy tell his father in Chapter 2 that he would like to go?
(a) Buncrana.
(b) Grianan.
(c) The Field of the Disappeared.
(d) Donegal.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the boy's father hit him in Chapter 3?

2. Who is the heroine of the novel the boy reads in the dark?

3. During the war, when the alarms go off because of the air raids, where does the family hide?

4. What color is the light above the graves of Francis and Frances' parents?

5. According to the local belief his father told the boy, who gathers at the Field of the Disappeared at Christmas and other festivals?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the boy's father takes him and his brother Liam out on the boat, what does his father reveal to them and why does it make the boy feel uncomfortable?

2. How is the theme of disappearance used in Chapter 1?

3. Why is Una's death seen as an outlet for the boy's mother?

4. Describe the events surrounding the distillery and what happens to it.

5. What memory does the boy have of an interaction between him and Crazy Joe?

6. How are superstitions introduced in Chapter 1?

7. What happens to Frances and Francis?

8. How do we see the boy react and respond to his circumstances in Chapter 1 instead of accepting them at face value?

9. How is the boy's father's life seen as very difficult and sad?

10. Describe Grianan.

(see the answer keys)

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