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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 time were Gilbert and the other West Indian RAF volunteers wakened in Chapter 12?

2. How often did Gilbert remember that his father was sober?

3. In Chapter 10, what does Hortense hear in the attic over her head?

4. What is the name of Celia's father?

5. In Chapter 2, how long was the shift that Gilbert worked before Hortense arrived?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Gilbert and Hortense wear when they were married?

2. Why is Queenie frustrated, yet grateful, to Mr. Todd?

3. What analogy did Gilbert use to explain why he joined the RAF?

4. How did Arthur Bligh die?

5. How does Gilbert look when Hortense arrives in England?

6. Who were Hortense's parents?

7. Why do the Smith's move away?

8. Why was Hortense not able to get a job at the Church of England school in Kingston?

9. What did Hortense do when she left her government upper school?

10. In Chapter 14, why were some Black GIs going to Nottingham instead of Lincoln to meet some girls?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Setting is the place and time where a novel takes place. What are the settings in Small Island? How do the settings evoke feelings or set the mood in the book?

Essay Topic 2

In Small Island, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

Queenie decides to give up her baby. Why does Queenie decide to give up her baby? What does the decision reveal about her character and English society?

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