Ocean At The End of The Lane Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is Lettie's Ocean implied to be?

A duck pond

What does Old Mrs. Hempstock say happened to the really old country?

It blew up

How long had the narrator lived in the old house that had been knocked down?

7 years

How old was the narrator when he lived in the old house that had been knocked down?

5-12 Signup and view all the answers

What presents does the narrator receive for his seventh birthday?

Batman figure and Narnia books Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the cat the opal miner gives the narrator?

Monster Signup and view all the answers

Where is the opal miner said to be from?

South Africa Signup and view all the answers

Around what time of day does the man commit suicide in the narrator's father's car?

3 a.m Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the Hempstock's cow?

Bessie Signup and view all the answers

What does Lettie give the narrator to eat in Chapter 2?

Porridge and jam Signup and view all the answers

What kills the fish in Lettie's ocean in Chapter 2?

A sixpence coin Signup and view all the answers

What type of vehicle does the narrator's father get in Chapter 3?

Range Rover Signup and view all the answers

What does Ellen Henderson send the narrator on his birthday in Chapter 3?

A handkerchief Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 3, how much does the narrator win in Premium Bonds?

25 pounds Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 3, what does the narrator get caught in his throat?

A coin Signup and view all the answers

Where does the narrator meet Lettie in Chapter 3?

At the bottom of his driveway Signup and view all the answers

What does Lettie cook the narrator for breakfast in Chapter 3?

Pancakes Signup and view all the answers

What color is Lettie looking for in Chapter 4?

Purpley-blue Signup and view all the answers

What animal is seen by the narrator as they feel the storm in Chapter 4?

A manta wolf Signup and view all the answers

What color is the sky when the narrator thinks they've crossed the boundaries of the Hempstock farm in Chapter 4?

Orange Signup and view all the answers

When the Hempstocks came from the old country and brought the farm, what did Gran call the things that were brought in with it?

Fleas Signup and view all the answers

To what tune does Lettie begin to bind the creature that she and the narrator encounter in Chapter 4?

"Girls and Boys Come Out to Play" Signup and view all the answers

Where does the narrator feel pain when he catches the writhing mass of cobwebs and rotting cloth in Chapter 4?

His foot Signup and view all the answers

How many strokes does the narrator's sister brush her hair every night?

100 Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator get the pink scar on the heel of his foot?

He stepped on broken glass Signup and view all the answers

What had the narrator once dug out of his knee with a penknife?

A wart Signup and view all the answers

How high does the narrator count until he tries to pull the worm out of his foot?

100 Signup and view all the answers

How far does the narrator pull out the worm from his foot before it resists?

About an inch Signup and view all the answers

What color is the worm that the narrator pulls out of his foot?

Pink and gray Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator get rid of the worm he has pulled from his foot?

He puts it down the tub drain Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator put on his foot after removing the worm?

Sticking plaster Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator read before he goes to sleep in Chapter 5?

A Secret Seven mystery Signup and view all the answers

Once the narrator becomes an adult, who tells him that he had been a monster when he was a child?

His aunts Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 6, where does the narrator's mother get a job?

Dickson's Opticians Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 6, how many days a week does the narrator's mother say she will work at her new job?

4 Signup and view all the answers

Who is described as the previous housekeeper at the narrator's family's home in Chapter 6?

Gertruda Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 6, where does the narrator go to read a book after his mother tells him about the new housekeeper?

By the beech tree Signup and view all the answers

What is the narrator's laboratory in actuality?

A green-painted shed Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 7, where does the narrator go to pray that Ursula has tired of her little game?

The balcony Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 7, what does Ursula threaten to do if the narrator tries to leave the property?

Lock him in his room Signup and view all the answers

Where does the narrator go the morning after his confrontation with Ursula in Chapter 7?

To his laboratory Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 7, from where does the narrator watch as his father shows Ursula around the gardens?

From the beech tree Signup and view all the answers

How long had Mr. Wollery tended the gardens at the narrator's house before they lived there?

50 years Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 7, what colors is Ursula wearing?

Pink and gray Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 7, what flowers can the narrator see as he watches his father walk Ursula around the gardens?

Daffodils and narcissi Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 7, what does Ursula make for dinner?

Meatloaf Signup and view all the answers

How old is the narrator's sister in Chapter 8?

5 Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 8, what does the narrator use to dry himself off?

The bed counterpane Signup and view all the answers

How far is the narrator's bedroom window said to be from the ground in Chapter 8?

20 feet Signup and view all the answers

What type of vehicle drives past as the narrator runs toward the Hempstock Farm in Chapter 8?

A white van Signup and view all the answers

Where does Ursula threaten to put the narrator when she catches up with him in Chapter 8?

In the attic Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 8, what does the narrator touch just as Ursula is about to descend upon him?

A kitten Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 8, what color does the meadow explode into?

Gold Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 8, how far is the narrator inside the boundaries of the Hempstock Farm?

15 feet Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 9, what is Lettie's mother doing when the narrator arrives at the house?

Stirring logs in the fireplace Signup and view all the answers

What is old Mrs. Hempstock doing when the narrator comes to her house in Chapter 9?

Stirring a pot on the stove Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 9, where does the narrator take a bath?

In the kitchen Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator drink while taking a bath?

Soup Signup and view all the answers

What do the Hempstocks serve the narrator for dinner in Chapter 9?

Beef, potatoes, greens and carrots Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 9, what color thread does Granny use when she is snipping and sewing?

Red Signup and view all the answers

What color is the narrator's toothbrush?

Green Signup and view all the answers

What do the Hempstocks give to the narrator's parents after they bring his toothbrush to him?

Scones Signup and view all the answers

What color is the kitten that sleeps with the narrator in Chapter 9?

Marmalade Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 20, what wakes the narrator in the night?

Strange dreams Signup and view all the answers

About how far is the narrator's home from the Hempstock Farm?

A mile or so Signup and view all the answers

After the narrator wakes up in Chapter 10, who helps him find his way downstairs?

The kitten Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 10, what does the narrator eat for breakfast?

Porridge Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 10, what type of jam does the narrator eat with his toast?

Blackberry Signup and view all the answers

Where has Lettie been scratched when she returns in Chapter 10?

Her cheek Signup and view all the answers

What type of footwear does the narrator wear in Chapter 10?

Black leather boots Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 10, what is the first item that Lettie sets down in the narrator's yard?

A marble Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 11, where do Lettie and the narrator catch up with Ursula?

By the rose bushes Signup and view all the answers

Where does Ursula try to break the jam jar containing the wormhole?

Under the beech tree Signup and view all the answers

How many times does the narrator say he had seen grownups cry in Chapter 11?

Twice Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 11, how high does Ursula hold the narrator off the ground?

20 feet Signup and view all the answers

What does Lettie do when Ursula refuses to put the narrator down in Chapter 11?

She whistles Signup and view all the answers

What color are the things with wings that come for Ursula?

Black Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator call the things that devour Ursula?

Hunger birds Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator get hurt when Ursula crumples to the ground?

He skins his knees and the palms of his hands Signup and view all the answers

How many of the creatures that devour Ursula land on the grass?

They can't be counted Signup and view all the answers

Why do the cleaners refuse to leave?

There is still a bit of Ursula in the narrator Signup and view all the answers

Where does Lettie tell the narrator to stay at the end of Chapter 11?

In the fairy ring Signup and view all the answers

Who is the first person that the narrator sees when he is standing in the circle in Chapter 12?

The opal miner Signup and view all the answers

What is in the center of the fairy circle?

A dead tree Signup and view all the answers

At the beginning of his ordeal in the fairy ring, what does the narrator do to distract himself from seeing someone talking to him outside the circle?

He recites poems Signup and view all the answers

Who is the second person that the narrator sees when he sits inside the circle?

His sister Signup and view all the answers

As night falls, what can the narrator see flying above him in Chapter 12?

Bats Signup and view all the answers

Who is the third person that the narrator sees while he is in the fairy ring?

His father Signup and view all the answers

What is the silly pet name that the narrator's father had for him when he was a baby?

Handsome George Signup and view all the answers

What is the narrator singing when he sees Ursula outside the circle in Chapter 12?

"Are you Sleeping?" Signup and view all the answers

What have the cleaners promised Ursula in Chapter 12?

She can have the narrator as company Signup and view all the answers

From where does Lettie seem to come in Chapter 12 as the narrator waits in the fairy ring?

Among the rhododendrons Signup and view all the answers

What does the shadow in the night say when the narrator refuses to believe it is Lettie?

You are hungry Signup and view all the answers

What does Lettie bring to the narrator in Chapter 13?

The ocean Signup and view all the answers

At the beginning of Chapter 13, what does Lettie say that makes the narrator forget his hunger and fear?

That he did a good job at staying in the fairy ring Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator realize when he steps into the ocean in Chapter 13?

That he knows everything Signup and view all the answers

How fragile does the narrator realize that the reality of his world is in Chapter 13?

As fragile as icing on a birthday cake Signup and view all the answers

When the narrator is in the ocean, what can he see above and below him?

Darkness Signup and view all the answers

What does Lettie look like in the ocean?

Like silken sheets the color of ice Signup and view all the answers

Why can't the narrator stay in the ocean forever?

It would destroy him Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Characters and Entities

Lettie Hempstock: Represents innocence and a connection to a magical realm, her "ocean" is metaphorical.
Old Mrs. Hempstock: Suggests a mystical past, claiming that the old country "blew up."
The narrator: Lives in a house that was demolished, providing a childhood backdrop from ages 5-12.

Significant Events and Elements

The opal miner: From South Africa, gives the narrator a cat named Monster, symbolizing adventure.
The suicide at 3 a.m. occurs in the narrator’s father's car, reflecting themes of despair.

Birthday Celebrations and Gifts

The narrator receives a Batman figure and Narnia books for his seventh birthday, indicating influences of pop culture and fantasy.

Peculiar Experiences

Lettie's ocean is revealed to be a duck pond filled with mystical significance.
The fish in Lettie's ocean die when a sixpence coin is introduced, showcasing the interplay of common objects and fantastical elements.

Symbolism of Colors and Nature

The search for a "purpley-blue" color in Chapter 4 hints at the importance of perception in the narrative.
The sky turns orange as boundaries are crossed, indicative of transition and change.

Physical Challenges and Growth

The narrator recounts injuries: a pink scar from stepping on glass, pulling a worm from his foot, and skinning his knees, symbolizing the trials of childhood.

Magical Realism Aspects

The narrator witnesses creatures called "Hunger birds" devouring Ursula, representing fear and the consequences of neglecting darker forces.
The "fairy ring" where the narrator finds himself symbolizes a protective space amidst chaos.

Themes of Protection and Sacrifice

Lettie's actions to save the narrator demonstrate themes of friendship and sacrifice, underscored by her bringing the ocean, which symbolizes purity and knowledge.
The fragility of reality is explored, comparing it to "icing on a birthday cake," to emphasize the vulnerability of childhood innocence.

Transformation and Understanding

Venturing into the ocean, the narrator finds enlightenment, realizing his capacity for knowledge and the weight of adulthood’s burdens.
The ocean represents both a place of learning and an existential threat, reinforcing the idea that too much knowledge can be damaging.

Final Notes

The narrative combines childhood experiences with fantastical elements to explore deeper themes of loss, memory, and the nature of reality.
The interactions with the Hempstock family reveal hints of alternate realities and the complexities of the narrator's coming of age journey.

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Description

Test your knowledge of Niel Gaiman's 'The Ocean At The End of The Lane' with these flashcards. Each card includes key concepts and events from the book, helping you to recall important plot points and character details.