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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. David wants to stay on the island

2. The men take turns taking footage of the wood they have chopped rather than letting the women film them because

3. Though the narrator has memorized survival guides, she realizes that it is still possible

4. At the end of the chapter, the author compares an unborn child to

5. What does the narrator notice about the fountain in town?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When the narrator reviews old photos she claims to see the missing part of herself. What is the missing part?

3. What is significant about the fact that the others have locked the narrator out of the cabin?

4. Describe the experience the narrator has with her mother.

5. What change can be observed in the narrator at the start of the chapter?

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

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

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

9. Why do David and Joe want to avoid the narrator's search for her father.

10. Describe the narrator's initial beliefs about Americans.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Consider the statement, "Man masters nature not by force but by understanding." Write an essay in which you defend, refute, or qualify this statement using Atwood's novel as the basis for your argument.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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