Quiz Birnam Wood Eleanor Catton

Birnam Wood Quiz

Test your knowledge of Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood with this comprehensive 20-question quiz. It spans the entire novel—plot, character motivation, themes, symbols, and synthesis. Answers and explanations are provided after the questions.

Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 Questions)

  1. What natural event isolates the Darvish farm at Thorndike?

    • A) Earthquake
    • B) Landslide
    • C) Flood
    • D) Forest fire

  2. How does Mira Bunting first gain access to the Darvish property?

    • A) She poses as a journalist.
    • B) She uses an alias to scout the farm.
    • C) She breaks in at night.
    • D) She contacts Sir Owen directly.

  3. What does Tony Gallo offer Birnam Wood at the meeting?

    • A) A partnership with a tech company
    • B) A $100,000 grant
    • C) Media training
    • D) A free plane

  4. During Tony's hike to Thorndike, what does he notice about the security guard?

    • A) He is unarmed.
    • B) He appears to carry a concealed handgun.
    • C) He is wearing a uniform.
    • D) He is reading a book.

  5. What secret operation does Tony discover in the national park?

    • A) A poaching ring
    • B) A mining operation by Autonomo
    • C) A hidden bunker
    • D) A drug lab

  6. How does Tony injure himself while escaping?

    • A) He is shot.
    • B) He breaks his arm and ankle falling into a creek.
    • C) He is hit by a car.
    • D) He twists his knee.

  7. After Owen's death, what does Lemoine instruct Mira to do with the body?

    • A) Bury it in the forest
    • B) Move it to the SUV and stage a car crash
    • C) Leave it where it is
    • D) Call an ambulance

  8. Who is the first person Lemoine calls after the accident?

    • A) The police
    • B) Jill Darvish
    • C) Tony Gallo
    • D) Shelley Noakes

Character Motivation (5 Questions)

  1. Why does Shelley Noakes want to leave Birnam Wood?

    • A) She disagrees with its political stance.
    • B) She feels trapped and wants independence.
    • C) She has a job offer abroad.
    • D) She is in love with Tony.

  2. What motivates Robert Lemoine to fund Birnam Wood?

    • A) Genuine environmental concern
    • B) A desire to control and manipulate them
    • C) Guilt over his past actions
    • D) Friendship with Mira

  3. Why does Mira initially accept Lemoine's grant despite her anti-capitalist principles?

    • A) She is coerced.
    • B) She believes the money will help the collective survive.
    • C) She plans to steal it.
    • D) She wants to impress Tony.

  4. What drives Tony Gallo to investigate the Darvish farm?

    • A) Personal revenge
    • B) Journalistic ambition to expose the truth
    • C) A request from Mira
    • D) His love for Shelley

  5. Why does Jill Darvish become suspicious after Owen's death?

    • A) She finds a note from Mira.
    • B) Lemoine's story seems inconsistent and she suspects Birnam Wood.
    • C) She sees the van.
    • D) The police tell her.

Theme and Symbol (4 Questions)

  1. Which theme is most directly illustrated by Lemoine's surveillance of the farm and his manipulation of events?

    • A) Environmentalism
    • B) Surveillance and control
    • C) Romance
    • D) Bildungsroman

  2. The novel's title "Birnam Wood" alludes to Shakespeare's Macbeth. What does this allusion primarily suggest about the collective?

    • A) They are doomed to fail.
    • B) They are a moving, deceptive force that can be used for both good and harm.
    • C) They are invincible.
    • D) They are part of a prophecy.

  3. What does the secret mobile-phone tower on the farm represent?

    • A) Technological progress
    • B) Hidden surveillance and corporate intrusion
    • C) Communication with the outside world
    • D) A planned community

  4. The novel explores the tension between idealism and pragmatism. Which character most embodies the pragmatic compromise of principles?

    • A) Tony Gallo
    • B) Mira Bunting
    • C) Shelley Noakes
    • D) Jill Darvish

Synthesis (3 Questions)

  1. Short answer: In what way does the author use the "apocalyptic preparedness" theme to critique modern billionaire philanthropy?

  2. Short answer: How does the character of Tony Gallo function as a moral foil to both Mira and Lemoine?

  3. Which of the following best encapsulates the novel's view of collective action?

    • A) It is always noble and effective.
    • B) It can be easily corrupted by outside money and power.
    • C) It is obsolete in the modern world.
    • D) It is only possible in rural settings.

Answer Key

  1. B – The landslide on Korowai Pass isolates Thorndike, drawing Mira's attention to the farm.
  2. B – Mira uses an alias to scout the property, where she finds a plane.
  3. B – Tony offers a $100,000 grant, which Mira and Shelley accept.
  4. B – Tony sees the security guard near the mobile tower who appears to carry a concealed handgun.
  5. B – Tony discovers a secret Autonomo mining operation in the national park.
  6. B – He is chased, jumps into a creek, and breaks his arm and ankle.
  7. B – Lemoine orders Mira to help move Owen's body and stage a car crash at Korowai Pass.
  8. B – Lemoine calls Jill Darvish first to report Owen's "accident" and act as a grieving friend.
  9. B – Shelley feels trapped by the collective's moral censure and financial insecurity; she wants an independent life.
  10. B – Lemoine seeks to control Birnam Wood for his own apocalyptic plans and reputational management; he later plans to "drown them in homework."
  11. B – Mira pragmatically accepts the money to keep the collective afloat, despite her anti-capitalist beliefs.
  12. B – Tony's journalistic ambition drives him to uncover the truth about Lemoine's operations.
  13. B – Jill questions Lemoine's story and begins to suspect Birnam Wood's involvement.
  14. B – Lemoine's constant surveillance and manipulation of the cover-up highlight the theme of control.
  15. B – Like the moving forest in Macbeth, the collective is a shifting, potentially deceptive force that can be co-opted.
  16. B – The fenced, guarded tower symbolizes hidden corporate surveillance and intrusion.
  17. B – Mira compromises her ideals by accepting Lemoine's money and participating in the cover-up.
  18. Expected answer: Lemoine builds a bunker and uses conservation as a front, revealing billionaire philanthropy as a mask for self-interest and dominance.
  19. Expected answer: Tony risks his life to expose corruption, contrasting with Mira's complicity and Lemoine's manipulation, embodying truth-seeking against pragmatism and control.
  20. B – The narrative shows how outside money and power corrupt the collective's idealistic mission.