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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 fear consumes most of the settlers?

2. Why does George Abbot ignore Lachlan in class?

3. Why does Lachlan come to live with the McIvors?

4. What does George Abbot often study in the afternoons?

5. How does Ned Corcoran react when he sees an aborigine on his property?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what Janet sees that makes her think of the word "glory".

2. How does George act while talking to Leona? How does she react to him?

3. Describe the two types of settlers that Gemmy encounters in this chapter.

4. How does Gemmy's arrival disrupt Jock's lifestyle?

5. How does Ellen react to the changes in Jock?

6. Where does George want to travel to when he graduates from school? Why is this his dream?

7. What sort of relationship does Gemmy have with the natives while he is living with them? How does he "fit" into their society?

8. How does Janet initially interact with Gemmy once he is living with the McIvors?

9. Why does Lachlan boast so often? Why does this bother Janet?

10. Describe George's relationship with Mr. Robertson.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Race plays an important role in this novel. Discuss several situations where the body is central to the plot of the story. Focus on what the human body is serving as a symbol of at that point in the novel. Be sure to cite specific details from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout Remembering Babylon, David Malouf weaves actual events from history into his fictional story. Select one of the situations where he places his characters within a real historical context and:

1) describe the historical context of the scene or chapter (e.g., What actually happened in history that Malouf uses in the book?); and,

2) discuss the relationship between the historical context and the fictional story. What does this piece of history have to do with Gemmy's/the settlers' life/lives? Why does Malouf choose to place these characters at this particular point in the story in this particular historical context?

Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes Remembering Babylon explores is the role of the land in people's lives.

1) Describe at least three scenes where this theme is developed.

2) Discuss what the novel has to say about this theme.

3) Critique the author's viewpoint on this theme. Do you agree or disagree with his beliefs? Why?

Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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