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THE THORN BIRDS

CHAPTER ONE
1. Where does Meggie Cleary live?
New Zealand
2. What does she get for her fourth birthday? Why is it so special for her?
A doll, she gave it the name Agnes. She had seen it months ago but she
never dreamt it would be hers someday.
3. Who are Jack, Hughie and Frank? How did Jack and Hughie upset Meggie?
Her brothers. They badly damaged her doll.
4. Where does Frank work?
In a barn, making shoes for horses.
5. Describe her parents: Fiona and Padraic
Fiona: silent woman, almost never smile
Padraic: hard-working, small man with red hair; Irishman, although work
very hard for very little money hes always happy, often argues with Frank.
CHAPTER TWO
6. How was Meggies first day at school?
Sister Agatha punished her for arriving late on her first day at school.
She started to write with her left hand but her teacher tied it behind her
back so as she could write only with her right hand.
7. Where did Frank want to go and why? How did the incident end?
To war. He wanted to do something for himself. He flew away but the
police brought him back home.
CHAPTER THREE
8. Whos Mary Carson? Where does she live?
Meggies rich aunt, his fathers sister. She lives in Australia in a sheet
station called Drogheda.
9. Why does she want her brother to come to live to Drogheda?
She is old, she wants her brother to manage the farm and inherit it once
she dies.
10.Who drove the family to Drogheda?
Father Ralph de Bricassart
11.Was it a warm welcoming? Why? Why not?
No, Mary even didnt stand up when the whole family arrived.
CHAPTER FOUR
12.What was Padraic and his boys job at Drogheda? Who helped them?
They worked long hours, moving the sheep away from the river onto
higher ground. Father Ralph.
13.How different was Meggie and Stuarts schooldays at Gillanbone?
Teachers were kind to them, it was quiet and peaceful, and nobody ever
shouted at them.
14.Why is Frank angry?
After coming back home- he was away for two weeks- he realized his
mother was pregnant again.
CHAPTER FIVE
15.What did Frank do at the Gillanbone Show?

He fought and defeated Jimmy Sharmans boxers. He won twenty

pounds. He was happy. Mary rushed out of the tent, and started to cry.
16.Frank and his father had an argument. What was it about? What did
Paddy tell him?
Paddy didnt want Frank to become a boxer. Frank said he could defeat
anybody even him. Frank was angry because of his mother pregnancy.
Paddy said he is his mothers husband. Frank replied he is no better than
a dog. Paddy said he is NOT his father. Frank left. He joined Jim
Sharmans show.
17.What story did Paddy tell Father Ralph?
He said he was not Franks father. He was offered money to marry Fee.
She was a lonely mother when her father offered him to marry her. Her
family was ashamed of her, she had a child and was not married.
18.How did Meggie feel when the incident finished?
She was sad, Frank was her most beloved brother and he had left.
CHAPTER SIX
19.Who are Jims and Patsy?
Meggie new twin brothers.
20.Why didnt Mary Carson like Meggie? What did she remind Father Ralph?
Because Father Ralph is in love with her. She reminded the priest he
wanted to be a Cardinal.
21.Who died at the end of this chapter?
Meggies little brother Hal
CHAPTER SEVEN
22.What did Mary Carson and Father Ralph talk about when Marys birthday
party finish?
She said she loved Father Ralph and she knew his feelings for Meggie.
She gave a letter for him to be opened after her death. She said she
would die that night.
23.What happened after her death? What did Mary Carson will state? What
did Father Ralph do?
There were two wills; the older one left everything to Marys brother but
the second one left all her money to the church: 13 million pounds. The
father would be responsible for looking after the money and Drogheda.
But the decision was on father Ralph.
He decided on the second one. With 13 million pounds wouldnt be able
to ignore him. He would at last have a chance to be Cardinal de
Bricassart.
24.What did Father Ralph tell Meggie?
He said it was a good thing for her that he was going away. He always
loved her as a priest and no as a man. Meggie said his departure would
hurt her more than Franks.
CHAPTER EIGHT
25.What happened to Frank? Did his mother or any member of her family
meet him?
His family found out that he was in prision. He had killed a man in a
street fight and was sent to prison for life. The family asked Father Ralph

to visit him. They didnt want to upset Frank whom didnt want his
mother to know he was in prison.
26.What did Paddy tell Meggie about Father Ralph when she showed her
feelings about him?
He told her that he could never stop being a priest; he promised the
church and he could never break that promise.
CHAPTER NINE
27.In what circumstances Meggies father and brother die?
In winter 1932 during a big fire on the lands. All the family started
looking Paddy. When Stuart found his fathers body he shot three times
into the air. A wild pig came out of a tree and attacked him.
28.Who arrived at the Drogheda and what happened then?
Father Ralph did it and when he met Meggie he kissed her lips. He
admitted his love for her but told her it was impossible for him to love
her.
29.What did Meggie give Father Ralph when he left the farm? What did he
say?
She gave him a rose, the only one that survived the fire. He said that he
would always love her but it was impossible. He would never leave the
church. He did not want to do it. He advised her to find a good man, to
have children and be a good mother.
CHAPTERS: TEN-ELEVEN-TWELVE-THIRTEEN
30.Who did Meggie marry? Where did they live? Why?
Luke ONeill. They went to live in North Queensland. They wanted to save
some money. Luke got a job in the sugar cane field. She was a
housekeeper at the Muellers family.
31.Did they spend good moments together?
No, Luke worked a lot and he never has time to spend with Meggie.
32.Why didnt she visit her family at Drogheda?
She didnt want her family to know that her husband neglected her and
that she had no money for the train.
33.Bob wrote a letter to his sister Meggie, what did he tell her?
Father Ralph got upset when he knew Meggie got married. He went to
Greece. Now he Archbishop Ralph.
34.Why was Meggie so anxious to stay with Luke alone?
She wanted to have a baby, somebody to love.
35.Finally she got pregnant, what was Luke reaction to this?
He was angry, he said a baby would cost money.
36.Who arrived unexpectedly while Meggie was bearing the baby?
Archbishop Ralph de Bricassart. He wanted to see Meggie.
37.Was she happy on his arrival?
Yes but then she got angry when Ralph wanted to leave. She said he and
Luke are alike. They did not want to stay with her.
38.What was her daughters name?
Justine.
39.Why did she go to Matlock Island? Did she travel alone?
She went there to think about her life and plans for the future. She went
there alone.
40.Was Luke going to the Island too?

That was Anne Muellers plans but when he was in the farm, he got
disappointed to know that the baby was a girl. He went to Sydney with
friends but before he left his wife a message: to give birth a boy next
time.
41.Who arrived at the Island? And what happened?
Ralph. They spent a wonderful time there together. They loved each
other.
42.What did Ralph do then? What did Meggie decide to do?
He left to Rome. She decided to go back to Drogheda.
43.Why did Meggie decide to sleep with Luke once more?
She had Ralphs baby.
CHAPTERS: FOURTEEN-FIFTEEN-SIXTEEN
44.Where was Meggies new baby born? What was his name?
At Drogheda. She called him Dane.
45.Why did her twin brothers- Jims and Patsy- leave the farm?
They joined the army. The Second World War started and Australia
needed men to fight.
46.Why did Meggies mother surprise her? What did she tell Meggie?
Fee told her daughter Dane looked so like his father, Ralph de Bricassart.
She told Meggie that she had made a mistake when loving Frank more
than the other children. She had ignored her husband too. She said it had
been a mistake and she advised her daughter not to do the same.
47.Cardinal Ralph met Meggies children at Drogheda. Why did he come
back to the place?
To tell the family Frank, who had been in prison for thirty years, would be
released soon.
48.Did Meggie and the Cardinal spend time together that night?
Yes, she said while he was at Drogheda he was not Gods man but hers.
49.How old was Frank when he left prison? What was he like?
Fifty two years old. He had lost his old energy and enthusiasm for life. He
was a ruined man who had suffered things his family couldnt imagine.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
50.What did Meggies children plan for their future? Why was Meggie so
astonished?
Justine decided to become an actress and Dane a priest. She said Danes
decision was God revenge for having stolen Ralph to him.
51.Why was Dane sent to Rome?
To be on Ralphs behalf and care.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
What happened to Dane?
He went to Greece and died. One day he was on the beach and he saw
two women where sinking. He helped them but he was drown by the sea.
He could not be buried at Drogheda at first but Cardinal Ralph help
Meggie to find his body in Greece. He was taken to the Australian Farm.
At first he denied to help Meggie because he got a lot of work to do; then
Meggie told him Dane was his son.
Dane was taken to Drogheda in the end. It seemed Meggie forgave him
in the end.