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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. Which of the men with Dorrigo and Darky is an artist that sketches in his sketchbook as the men await orders in Section 1, Chapter 13?

2. Who gives new orders for the railroad to Nakamura in Section 2, Chapter 14?

3. What is the name of Dorrigo's uncle that he intends to visit in Section 2, Chapter 1?

4. What does Dorrigo awake to discover that Amy has left for him in Section 2, Chapter 12?

5. Who is the guard that beats Tiny when he collapses in Section 3, Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Whose 18th century death poem does Dorrigo contemplate in Section 1, Chapter 10? What is remarked about the poem?

2. What does Colonel Kota remark about the act of beheading in Section 2, Chapter 16?

3. What is Dorrigo's familial relationship with Keith and Amy Mulvaney?

4. What is the significance of Rabbit's sketchbook in the novel? What happens to the sketchbook when Rabbit dies in Section 3?

5. What symbolic event occurs on the beach in Section 2, Chapter 17?

6. What is the "Book of Souls" that is mentioned in The Narrow Road to the Deep North?

7. How would you describe the setting where Dorrigo grows up?

8. How is Dorrigo's meeting with Keith described in Section 2, Chapter 9?

9. What leads to Tiny Middleton being beaten in Section 3, Chapter 1? How do the prisoners react?

10. How are Amy's circumstances described in Section 2, Chapter 15? What internal conflicts is she grappling with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define and discuss the concept of “conservative humanism.” Why is Dorrigo labeled a conservative humanist? What does this label mean? Do you agree with the viewpoints of conservative humanism? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the setting of the POW camp in Siam where Dorrigo and his men are imprisoned during World War II. How many prisoners are held at the camp? What are the conditions like for the prisoners? What is the historical significance of this camp?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of culpability, responsibility, and history in the novel. Do you think that the Japanese characters in the story accept their culpability for the horrors visited on the POWs? Why or why not? How does the Goanna view his own responsibility for the crimes he is convicted of?

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