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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 makes the departing guests uneasy?

2. What news does Dennis phone through to Quoyle?

3. What does Herry perform?

4. Why does Tert Card wear knot charms?

5. What kind of fishing does Jack most prefer?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways are contrasts important in Chapter 36 of The Shipping News?

2. What good personal quality of Quoyle's almost costs him his life?

3. What are the implied advantages of the green house?

4. What is Quoyle's response to Billy Pretty's skepticism about him?

5. For Quoyle, what are the outcomes of his misadventure with the 'speedboat'?

6. What conclusions can be drawn about the origin of the money Agnis receives?

7. In what way has Quoyle reached a turning point in his life?

8. In what ways are descriptions of interior environment, specifically the Heavy weather bar and the Burke house, connected to the characters of Quoyle and Tert Card in Chapter 34?

9. In what shape is the local Newfoundland economy?

10. What insight into Wavey and her friends, the Buggit family, is provided in this chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

THE SHIPPING NEWS shows us contrasting practices in the rearing of children. Explain and discuss the way in which Quoyle was raised and contrast this with the way he raises his own children. You could also refer to the parenting skills of Wavey and Beety. What do these differences show us about (a) changes in society and (b) changes in individuals?

Essay Topic 2

'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 3

Conflict is at the heart of THE SHIPPING NEWS. To what extent do you believe this to be true?

How important is internal conflict?

Consider the sort of conflict that occurs within a personality as they struggle to come to terms with life.

Is there a balance between this and external conflict?

Discuss one major area of conflict that is significant in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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