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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 is the real reason the narrator feels black?

2. What is Mrs. Scaredale crackers about?

3. What is Jones's job?

4. What kind of stains does Bert have on his mac?

5. What is the name of the newspaper Lennox asks his son to fetch him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the man's suicide attempt unsuccessful?

2. Why is Lennox so upset at the beginning of this story?

3. How does Jim's fiance surprise the neighbors?

4. How does Bert ride the Noah's Ark for free?

5. How do Lennox and Fred's views on marriage differ?

6. What do Bert and Colin do on the way home?

7. What is Bert's plan to cheat at the penny game?

8. Why does the man want to kill himself?

9. Why is Lennox upset with his children?

10. What happens when Mrs. Lennox stands up to her husband?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is life like in Borstal for Smith? How does Borstal try to change Smith and why do they fail? How has youth prison changed since the story was written?

Essay Topic 2

In what do Colin and Bert's characters differ? How do the students think Bert and Colin's relationship develop as they grow older? In what way could they influence affect each other both negatively and positively?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the author's writing style. How would you describe the author's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? What meaning does the author's style give to the book?

(see the answer keys)

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