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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 kind of business does Dorrigo's uncle own in Section 2, Chapter 1?

2. How many Tasmanian machine gunners are in Sergeant Darky Gardiner's group when Dorrigo encounters them in Section 1, Chapter 12?

3. How old is Dorrigo in Section 1, Chapter 4?

4. What does Dorrigo learn after talking with Amy in the end of Section 2, Chapter 26?

5. Who shares half of a boiled egg with Tiny in Section 3, Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What are your impressions of Amy's character when she is introduced in Section 2?

3. How has Darky Gardiner come into possession of a duck egg in Section 3, Chapter 1?

4. What infraction leads to Darky Gardiner being beaten in Section 3, Chapter 4?

5. How are Dorrigo's circumstances described in Section 1, Chapter 11? What is Dorrigo's position?

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

7. How is Rooster MacNeice's relationship with the book Mein Kampf described in Section 3, Chapter 3?

8. Where is Dorrigo in Section 2, Chapter 1? What is he doing in this setting?

9. What event leads to the surrender of Dorrigo and his men in Section 1, Chapter 13?

10. What personality trait stands out the most in Dorrigo's character from the beginning of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Tiny Middleton in the novel. Why do you think Tiny refuses to work slower despite the struggles that his fellow POWs face in keeping up with him? What causes Tiny to collapse at the worksite? How is Tiny perceived by the other POWs when he cries after being beaten?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Australia’s role in World War II. When was the Commonwealth of Australia federated? What is its relationship with the United Kingdom? How many Australians fought in World War II? Where were the majority of the Australians stationed? How many Australians were taken prisoner during the war?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the Yasukuni Shrine and the Book of Souls. How many individuals are memorialized in the Book of Souls? How many of these individuals were found guilty of war crimes? What do you think is the significance of the author’s allusion to this memorial?

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