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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. At the end of the chapter the narrator reveals the attitude that

2. The narrator has identified two different women in town known as Madame because

3. The narrator decides it would be easy for a person who is hiding to

4. The narrator's insistence that does not know the right languages or dialects supports the idea that

5. In the morning, the narrator and Joe discuss

Short Essay Questions

1. What attitude does the narrator express about the emotions of others?

2. What perceptions do her guests have of the town?

3. What images or ideas related to identity do we get in the beginning of the novel?

4. Describe David's view of his marriage.

5. Why does the narrator refuse to believe David and Anna's story about her father?

6. What does the dead heron represent for the narrator?

7. How is the narrator changing as she remembers her past?

8. Why is the narrator bothered by the new road, and the ease with which she is able to arrive at her destination?

9. The narrator says that living on the island felt "normal" to her, which suggests what about her personality?

10. What happens when the narrator attempts to communicate with Joe in the chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the author seem to indicate about the power of language in the text? What statements or scenes reveal her purpose in emphasizing language in the novel? Write an essay in which you identify Atwood's message about language and its power or limitations.

Essay Topic 2

A thematic concept apparent in the novel is identity. Write an essay in which you identify three symbols or motifs that contribute to Atwood's message about identity.

Essay Topic 3

Nietzsche said, "A man who has depths in his shame meets his destiny and his delicate decisions upon paths which few ever reach . . . ." Consider the narrator's discussion of paths throughout the novel and then defend, refute, or qualify Nietzsche's statement using examples from the text.

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