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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 happens to Kerans's catamaran?

2. What do Kerans, Bodkin, and Beatrice sense about their relationship in Chapter 6?

3. What type of insects does Kerans see buzzing past his balcony?

4. What does Kerans realize about the scenery he admired from his balcony?

5. What is the purpose of these "freebooters" in the lagoons?

Short Essay Questions

1. What object does Kerans take from the armory and why?

2. How does the novel address the concept of evolution?

3. Who suddenly disappears and why?

4. Who yells out of the door of a helicopter to Beatrice and Kerans and what does he say?

5. What eats Kerans’ catamaran and why?

6. What does Kerans deduce about the men using alligators as "watchdogs"?

7. How does Kerans escape the caiman and reach Beatrice's doorstep?

8. What is the significance of their dreams as a meeting ground?

9. What is the significance of the massive, Triassic-sized insects buzzing past Kerans as he stands on the balcony?

10. How does Kerans perceive his role after realizing the others are gone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the relationship between Kerans and Beatrice and how it changes over the course of the novel. Why do you think this is?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the writing style of J.G. Ballard in The Drowned World. What literary techniques does he use to create the atmosphere and convey the themes of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the symbolism of the lagoon in The Drowned World. How might it represent the characters' subconscious desires?

(see the answer keys)

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