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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. Where does Joel take Zaga for their honeymoon?

2. When was Zaga born?

3. What is the name of the Marburg sisters' grandfather?

4. How much older is Joel than Zaga?

5. Which of the following is NOT something Alec Carrière spent his life collecting?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unexpected request does Dr. George Douglas make of Laughlin?

2. What school subject do the Marburg sisters excel in, and how does this shape their adulthood?

3. Where did Alec Carrière grow up, and what was his ambition in life?

4. Why are the Marburg sisters so wild?

5. What becomes of Carrière's scientific breakthrough, and how does this end result compare to his hopes?

6. What devastating event occurs on Joel and Zaga's honeymoon?

7. How does Rose's life change in the wake of her father's death?

8. What happened to Alec Carrière on his way home from Brazil?

9. In the opening pages of "Soroche" what does the reader learn about Zaga's character?

10. Who is Jemmy Button?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although Nora can't read at the beginning of "Ship Fever" she brings with her from Ireland a knowledge of traditional medicine that proves to be useful, and possibly influences the course of the epidemic on the island. What do you think Barrett is trying to say about the intersection here of "professional" and "amateur" science? What does Nora take with her, when she leaves the island for her new life?

Essay Topic 2

In the story "The Behavior of Hawkweeds" how do genetics play a role in understanding the lives of the characters? What symbols are produced through the comparison of the hawkweed genetics and the life of immigrants in America? Do you think this symbol is successful? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

A romantic triangle--Lauchlin, Susannah, Arthur Adam--plays a role in "Ship Fever" but it's in the background. If the fate of the Irish emigrants is in the foreground, what is the function of the small, quiet love story? What might it mean when Lauchlin, ill near the end of the tale, confuses Nora and Susannah?

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This section contains 849 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample