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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 is Damian Rose disguised as while he waits at Tryall during the pursuit of Duane Nicholson?

2. What does Peter learn from Meral Johnson after he's taken into custody?

3. Who does Clive Lawson impersonate?

4. What is the first living thing the troopers encounter in Harold Hill's house?

5. What does Peter tell the CIA that his parents have done?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Damian when he calls the U.S. embassy to tell Brooks Campbell about Dred's final act of violence?

2. What deal does Peter make with the priest at the funeral?

3. What is Peter's plan for leaving the island?

4. Describe how Carrie sees herself when she looks into her mirror before leaving the island.

5. Describe Peter and Jane's attitude toward going to Washington.

6. Why does Peter think he won't have to search for the Englishman?

7. Does the mafia get what it wants out of the deal with the Roses?

8. What does Carrie tell Clive Lawson that his job is?

9. What list does Harold Hill make when he comes to Coastown?

10. How are the deaths of Carol Hill and Jane similar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the necessity for violence in the novel. At the end of the novel, Hill thinks that it "never ends." Is violence in the novel an unending cycle that is impossible to escape? The novel indicates that Damian comes from a violent household. Does violence beget violence, in the world just as in individual families? When is violence right or wrong in the novel? Is it necessary to kill Damian Rose at the end of the book? Is it necessary or just to hang the three murderers at the beginning of the book? Is it necessary for Peter to kill Harold Hill?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the desire for attention and approval in the novel. How does Damian show his desire for attention and fame (while he is careful to always hide his identity)? Why does Carrie, whose survival depends on people believing she's dead, publish her diary? Why does she desire attention and approval? Why do these characters, who desire attention, commit horrific acts? Can they be compared to children acting out to get attention? Who else in the novel desires attention and approval?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Colonel Monkey Dred. What is Dred's goal and motivation? Is he only seeking power for himself, or does he have some other motivation? How is he used by the Roses and by extension the U.S. government and the mafia?

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