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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. Where do Kerans and Riggs move to after docking the cutter?

2. How does Kerans describe the temperature inside the ward?

3. What does Bodkin reveal to Kerans about the city they are in?

4. What does Kerans feel drawn to do in his dream?

5. What does Beatrice point out to Kerans in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way are the flora and fauna evolving?

2. How is the earth portrayed differently in this book?

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

4. Can you describe the “flooded city” in the novel?

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

6. What is the significance of the arrival of the hydroplane and the destruction caused by the ships in the lagoon?

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

8. Who is Lieutenant Hardman?

9. What does the conversation between Riggs and Kerans reveal about their roles and concerns in this changing world?

10. Which character is shot and injured by Hardman and how did it happen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

In The Drowned World, the characters are often forced to confront their own mortality. Discuss the theme of mortality in the book and how it affects the characters.

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