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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 maritime connections does Quoyle have?

2. After whom did the aunt name her dog?

3. When is the library open?

4. Which of Quoyle's jobs are listed on the first page of the novel?

5. At the motel, what does Quoyle buy for his daughters?

Short Essay Questions

1. Comment on the significance of the contents of the suitcase Quoyle finds floating in the water.

2. What change in Quoyle occurs following the incident of his article on the 'Hitler yacht'?

3. What is significant about the different ways in which Quoyle and his aunt respond to the finding of Bayonet Melville's head?

4. How does Annie Proulx utilize symbolism in the account of Billy's and Quoyle's journey back from Gaze Island?

5. How does Quoyle respond to the news about the Quoyles' past?

6. What does the green house on the point mean to the aunt?

7. What major fear does Quoyle face up to in Chapter 12?

8. How important is the rhythm of their new lives for Quoyle and his family?

9. What does Chapter 10 show the reader about the relationship of people to the sea?

10. What is Quoyle's attitude to Petal and her death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

'When I first read THE SHIPPING NEWS, I was captivated by Newfoundland and wished I could travel there and meet those eccentric characters.'

1) To what extent do you relate to this student's comment?

2) What are the overall qualities of the novel that would cause you to recommend it to a friend?

3) Can you justify its status as a literary prize-winner?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the important contrasts that are represented in THE SHIPPING NEWS.

1) Focus on contrasting values and attitudes. In what ways are those in Newfoundland different from what Quoyle has left behind? Illustrate by focusing on three characters and make frequent reference to the text.

2) Consider the contrast between life in Killick-Claw and that which Partridge describes in his phone call from Los Angeles.

3) Discuss the ways in which these contrasts support the themes of the novel.

Essay Topic 3

'The ocean is as much a character in this novel as is Quoyle.'

1) What techniques does the author use to give the impression that the sea is a character?

2) Discuss the way of the power of the sea and human responses to it, are represented in THE SHIPPING NEWS. In your answer, focus on two major characters and one secondary character.

(see the answer keys)

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