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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 does Thurso decide to have flogged?

2. What is in progress when Erasmus arrives at the Wolpert residence?

3. Who seems satisfied by the deaths that take place on the Ship in Book One, Part One?

4. Which three men toast in Book One, Part One?

5. What was the name of Paris' wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Thurso have James Wilson flogged?

2. Why does Erasmus not like Matthew Paris?

3. Is Erasmus allowed to propose to Sarah? What happens afterward?

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

5. What tragedy occurs while the Ship is being built?

6. What is the relationship between Kemp and Saul Thurso like?

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

8. How do readers discover how Sarah feels about Erasmus?

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

10. Why is the title of the play rehearsed on the Wolpert property appropriate?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Liverpool Merchant is a significant part of Unsworth's story. What does the ship symbolize? What similarities can you give between the Ship and characters' qualities, or the events in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Some have identified the plot of Sacred Hunger as disjointed and confusing. Would you agree or disagree? Why?

Essay Topic 3

The concept of companionship is present throughout Unsworth's novel. What can readers learn about Unsworth's characters when they are in relationship with others? Be sure to cite specific examples.

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