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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. Where was the husband's last wife from?

2. How many spikes does the young wife say the countess is spiked by?

3. How long has her husband's forefather's ruled the coast?

4. What does the young wife say is bad about the passage?

5. What color hair does the young wife have?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what an iron maiden is.

2. Do you think the Marquis is a conventional murderer in term of literature?

3. In what ways does the young wife romanticize her marriage to the Marquis?

4. Describe what a catafalque is.

5. Does Carter subvert the conventions of a fairy tale?

6. Why do you think the Marquis takes the young girl to see Tristan?

7. What do you think the girl means to the Marquis?

8. What is a Marquis?

9. What do you think is the significance of the red ribbon?

10. How important is the piano tuner to the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using two examples from the book discuss the following statement. The story plays on the reader's expectations and changes them to mold a different meaning.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think the Marquis chose the young Frenchwoman as his wife? Do you think his presumptions were wrong?

Essay Topic 3

Carter uses many conventions from folk and fairy tales. What conventions do you recognize from the book? Take two examples and discuss how Carter uses them. Does she give them new meaning.

(see the answer keys)

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