High School Teacher

Year 8 Test: Don’t Call Me Ishmael
Questions 1-11
Question 1: In your own words explain the symptoms of Ishmael Leseur’s Syndrome and its causes. What do we learn about Ishmael’s sister Prue in this chapter? Who does
Ishmael blame for his syndrome?

Question 2: What does Ishmael feel about the story of how he got his name? What image does Ishmael use to describe his father and his keenness to tell the story of Ishmael’s naming to unsuspecting ‘victims’? Why do you think he uses this comparison? Do you think it is effective? Why/why not?

Question 3: Who or what does Ishmael’s father dress up as in the hospital the day
Ishmael is born? Why does he do this?

Question 4: Who is Herman Melville and why does Ishmael describe him as the ‘real culprit’ in the curse of Ishmael Leseur?

Question 5: What does Barry Bagsley do that makes Ishmael describe him as a ‘mad dog mauling a shoe’?

Question 6: What method does Ishmael use to survive going to the same school as Barry
Bagsley? How does Ishmael sum up Year Nine at St Daniel’s Boys College?

Question 7: Write down a list of words Ishmael uses to describe his new teacher Miss
Tarango. Why do you think he says she won’t survive the term? Do you think he will be right or wrong? Explain your response.

Question 8: What conclusions do you think Miss Tarango might draw about Ishmael from his ‘Five Amazing Things about Me’ list?

Question 9: What challenge does Miss Tarango put to the class? Why should Barry Bagsley have ‘listened carefully’? What did Ishmael know about Miss Tarango after just one day?

Question 10: What effect does his encounter with Miss Tarango have on Barry Bagsley and his treatment of Ishmael?

Question 11: Why does Ishmael decide not to turn around and go home another way when he sees Barry and the others bullying the primary school boy? What happens?

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