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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 claims to rehearse

3. The canoe trip is difficult for the group because

4. What happens between the narrator and Joe while picking blueberries?

5. At the gas station, the narrator is embarrassed when her friends

Short Essay Questions

1. What stops the narrator from responding to Joe's voice?

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

3. Describe the narrator's relationship with her former lover.

4. Why does the narrator assume the old town priest is dead?

5. What does the narrator believe she sees at the end of the chapter?

6. Why does the narrator decide to return to the city?

7. Describe the narrator's flashback about the birth of her child.

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

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

10. Why does the narrator believe there are rules for what she can and cannot do on the island?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the motif of isolation in Atwood's novel. Write an essay in which you explore the connotation of isolation and identify examples of isolation in the text that contribute to Atwood's message.

Essay Topic 2

The narrator's views on taking life change throughout the course of the novel. Write an essay in which you discuss the narrator's development and her changing views on the value of life. Use at least three examples from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the narrator's definition of American. What does it mean to be an American according to the narrator? Who or what in the novel is represented by the term American and why?

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