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

2. How old is Luther Sawdust?

3. Who is the protagonist in this story?

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

5. Why does Blair go to a bar?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Erasmus feel about Sarah Wolpert in Book One?

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. What do we learn about Paris' wife in Book One, Part One?

9. Why was Paris imprisoned?

10. Which three characters share a toast in Book One and why do they share it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the climax of this story and the series of events leading up to it. How did characters respond to the climax? What did Unsworth include in his story to insure that the climax would be as powerful and meaningful as possible?

Essay Topic 2

Paris experiences flashbacks in this story that refer to his prior experiences with his wife and his printing of illegal materials. What do those flashbacks teach us about Paris? What purpose do the flashbacks serve in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Identify the concept of an antagonist. Describe how Erasmus can be described as the antagonist, and explain what makes him fit the description. Why does Unsworth decide to include Erasmus in his book? What does he represent?

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