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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 word do Bethan, Delwyth, and Eira use during their pretend tea party that is wholly unfamiliar to Claire?

2. Einar tells Claire that he thinks it may be better to climb out in search of something rather than for what other reason?

3. What does Alys feed Claire upon Claire's arrival in the village?

4. What name is given to Claire upon her arrival in the village?

5. To whom does Einar's father send Einar when his arm is broken after his fall from the fishing boat's mast?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Trademaster's appearance described in the narrative?

2. How does Claire's reaction to reaching the summit of the hill path change over time?

3. What does Einar reveal to Claire about his father?

4. What is Claire's solution for quelling her fear of animals?

5. Why do Bethan, Delwyth, and Eira stop playing a pretend game involving babies and instead switch to playing tea party?

6. What is Alys's reaction to the news that Claire is training to climb out?

7. What is the relationship between Alys and Old Benedikt?

8. What does Einar name as his primary strategy in surviving the abuse at his father's hand?

9. What is Trademaster's attitude toward Claire's longing for her son?

10. Though Alys is childless herself, what experience does she have that qualifies her for the care of Claire upon Claire's arrival in the village?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the choice of an omniscient narrator to tell the story of Claire's life enabled the author to bridge the gap between Claire's life within the dystopian community and the world in which the reader lives and works.

Essay Topic 2

One of the genres the novel fits into is the coming-of-age genre. What are the author's main messages concerning adolescence and the process of growing up?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the significance of the novel's title and of the repeated references to sons throughout the narrative. What is the author's purpose in including the motif of male children, both in the title and throughout the narrative of the novel?

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This section contains 928 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample