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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 was written on Rose Williams' gravestone?

2. What kind of list about their father did Nathaniel write as a kind of a joke and send to Rachel?

3. How does Nathaniel finally track down The Darter?

4. What book makes Marsh Felon curious about climbing roofs as a young man?

5. Who does Nathaniel have dinner with in the section titled "Arthur McCash," to ask questions about his childhood?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the boy on the roof and why is he important in Rose's life?

2. What does Sam Malakite do for Nathaniel at Rose's funeral?

3. How does Nathaniel feel about The Darter after their meeting as adults, when Nathaniel finally tracks The Darter down?

4. Why is Nathaniel interested in the sea pea plant?

5. How is Rose Williams' death noted in the press?

6. What does Nathaniel find between the pages of a book in his mother's house that intrigues him?

7. What does Rose tell Nathaniel when he asks her about what happened to The Moth?

8. What does Marsh Felon teach Rose how to do in the section titled "Wildfowling"?

9. What does Rose cite as a major reason why she joined the British Intelligence Service?

10. Who is one of the first people from his youth Nathaniel runs into when he starts work at the archives in the section titled "In the Archives"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing why Rose begins teaching Nathaniel to play chess. What does the game seem to represent for each of them?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Ondaatje's decision to leave Nathaniel's father, Mr. Williams, as such a vague character. How do you think the author's choice in this regard affects the reader's understanding of Nathaniel's family's dynamic?

Essay Topic 3

In several instances in the novel, Ondaatje uses foreshadowing for dramatic effect. For example, on page 115, he writes, "You take your adult life with you. It is not to be a reliving, but a rewitnessing. Unless of course you wish, like my sister, to damn and enact revenge on the whole pack of them." Write an essay analyzing one or two other examples in which Ondaatje uses foreshadowing to sustain readers' attention and build suspense.

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