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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. Who refuses to watch Julie in her extracurricular activities?

2. Who says there should be a funeral for Mother?

3. Who finds Mother dead?

4. Which child leaves for school alone in Chapter 2?

5. Who stares in silence when the dead mother rolls out of bed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Jack's parents argue about in Chapter 1? What does his mother demand and what is his father's reaction?

2. Why does the whole family attack Father verbally over a decision he made regarding Julie's extracurricular activities?

3. What does Julie tell Jack she imagines will happen between Father and Tom as Father's health declines?

4. How does Jack's acne problem affect him socially?

5. Describe the social life of Jack's family.

6. What does Mother talk to Jack about one morning when she awakens him?

7. What do Jack and his sisters do for fun on the night their parents argue in Chapter 1?

8. What do Julie and Jack do with sand and how long does it take?

9. Why is Tom tired of being a boy?

10. What happens to the garden after Father's first heart attack?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the exposition of The Cement Garden.

Essay Topic 2

Define motif. Identify and discuss two motifs from The Cement Garden.

Essay Topic 3

What is a flashback? Identify and discuss one example of flashback from this novel. How does the author signify that it is a flashback? How does the author demonstrate that the flashback ends?

(see the answer keys)

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