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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 does Olivia do with what she finds in her mother's room?

2. What disease does Danus think he has?

3. Where does Penelope go first thing this morning?

4. Who is the executor of Penelope's estate?

5. Who joins Noel at his mother's house on the weekend?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the relationship between Antonia and Danus mirror that of Penelope and Richard's?

2. Describe Penelope's last few moments in her beloved garden.

3. How does Olivia manage to silence Noel and Nancy's protests about Penelope's will?

4. Why is Penelope disappointed in her children?

5. What impact does Sophie's death have on her family?

6. What are the unhappy implications of Penelope's marriage to Ambrose?

7. How do Nancy and Noel react to news of Penelope's death?

8. Describe Penelope's dismal existence during the Summer of 1943.

9. Why does Penelope have such a fitful night after her appointment in London?

10. What does Penelope do on her last day in Porthkerris?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Ambrose and Robert. Both men want influence over Penelope but have their hold on her in very different ways. Why are their differences classic examples of conflict in literature? What other similarities and dissimilarities are there between the two characters?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of the family in THE SHELL SEEKERS. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support or disregard of each other? How typical is this family to most British families living during the mid- to late-20th century?

Essay Topic 3

Pilcher is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

(see the answer keys)

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