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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 do the children eat for a week after their mother dies?

2. When jealous over Julie's boyfriend, who does Jack ask to play the sex game?

3. Why does Jack think one of the girls has been in the cellar when he goes there in Chapter 7?

4. In Chapter 7, where do Julie and Derek go after dinner?

5. Who does Derek tell Jack that he (Jack) is like?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the conversation between Derek and Jack as they leave the pool hall?

2. What is the conversation Derek has with the siblings over tea, after sealing the cracked cement?

3. How does Jack get a terrible sunburn?

4. Discuss the owners of the pool hall's relationship with Derek. Why does he play for free?

5. What strange experience happens to Jack when he goes to the shops to spend his birthday money?

6. Three weeks after Mother's death, how does Sue spend her time?

7. What happened to the children when they were left alone one time previously?

8. How is Tom's baby-like behavior affected by Julie's willingness to treat him like one?

9. When he asks to do so, why won't Sue let Jack read excerpts from her diary?

10. Three weeks after Mother's death, how does Jack spend his time?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the two oldest siblings and the two youngest ones.

Essay Topic 2

What are static and dynamic characters? Name the static and dynamic characters in this novel and discuss what about each makes them either static or dynamic.

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

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