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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 is the officer interested in talking to Stephen about that is missing from the public eye?

2. In what area does Stephen notice a girl at a school and demand that the chauffeur stop so he can get out?

3. Who falls ill in Stephen's family?

4. Who does Stephen avoid saying goodbye to when he leaves the Darke house?

5. What does Stephen wear for his meeting with the Prime Minister?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Stephen survive the crash with the truck?

2. What does Stephen purchase for Kate's birthday and what does it signify to him?

3. What does Stephen discover about Charles when Thelma gives him directions to where Charles is in the woods?

4. How does the headmaster respond when Stephen tells his story about Kate?

5. What does Stephen realize after going to the school and not finding Kate?

6. When Stephen talks about his bicycle memory near the sea, how do his parents respond?

7. Why does the driver of the truck want Stephen to write down two notes?

8. What did Stephen become interested in when his mother had insisted that he take a nap in the middle of the day as a child?

9. How does Stephen respond to the Prime Minister's secretary's request for a second meeting?

10. When the chauffeur arrives to pick up Stephen, how does he respond to Stephen's comments about the ragged car?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

McEwan uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Love is a recurring theme in The Child In Time. How does Julie's feelings about love change from the beginning of the novel to its end? In what ways has she expanded her awareness and beliefs? Is sexuality connected to love for Julie? How does her feelings for Stephen develop and change and how does her relationship with him contrast with that of other men that she has had romantic or an idealized relationship with?

Essay Topic 3

The Child In Time is particularly effective in conveying meaning through powerful imagery. Powerful imagery to establish connections in the minds of readers with the story's characters and plot. Imagery is the picture we form in our minds of the story we read. It can involve, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, kinetic, and kinesthetic. The author uses these imagery to translate words into a visual story that we can see and participate in within our minds. Describe the use of imagery in this dystopian novel.

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