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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. Who almost attacks Libby in Book One, Part Three?

2. Where does the Liverpool Merchant arrive in Book One, Part Four?

3. Whom of the following is not a member of the Ship's crew?

4. Who argues over the value of each slave?

5. What was Sawdust's father's profession?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Erasmus compare to cattle in Book One, Part Four?

2. What types of memories does Paris frequently dwell on when he is on the ship?

3. Describe what happens in Book One, Part One, when Erasmus gets to the Wolperts' home.

4. How would you describe Erasmus as he is presented in the first half of the book?

5. What happens between Deakin, Calley, and Libby in Book One, Part Three?

6. What good results from the slaves going aboard the ship, according to the narrator in Book One, Part Four?

7. How does the reader gain an inside perspective of the death of Paris' wife?

8. Describe the setting for the Prologue.

9. Why does Thurso have James Wilson flogged?

10. How does Erasmus' role in the play reflect aspects of himself in real life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which character in Unsworth's book is most likable? Why? Which character do you like the least? What is it about that particular character that causes you to dislike him or her?

Essay Topic 2

Identify at least three instances of foreshadowing in Unsworth's novel. Why would Unsworth include those instances? How would the story change if they had not been included?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters of Erasmus and Paris. How are their lives different? How are the characters the same?

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