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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. In Chapter 40, how long was Bernard's patrol on a hangar?

2. Where did Bernard work before he joined the RAF?

3. In Chapter 37, what did the troops get when the Japanese surrendered?

4. What was the name of Aunt Dorothy's dog?

5. In Chapter 24, how often did Bernard Blight start coming into the sweet shop?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 29, when did Arthur speak and what did he say?

2. What is Gilbert pleased to find Queenie Bligh at first?

3. What did Bernard think about his future as he sailed home?

4. Why did Bernard and the others in his unit get a holiday and three days beer ration in Chapter 37?

5. In Chapter 41, who did Bernard speak to who escaped the basha, and what did the man tell him?

6. What does Gilbert ask Hortense to do before he gets home?

7. Why does renting a room from Queenie become burdensome?

8. What did Queenie say about Arthur in Chapter 28?

9. In Chapter 39, what was known about a riot in Calcutta?

10. What was Queenie's life like until her Aunt Dorothy rescued her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

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

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view in the book? How does the point of view influence what readers know about events and characters? How does it help readers connect with and understand characters?

(see the answer keys)

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