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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. Why is the Jonsdottir mother, Margret, distressed at the beginning of the novel?

2. Why does the District Commissioner feel it is appropriate for him to ask the Jonsdottir family to house a murderer?

3. Where were the murdered victims found?

4. In Chapter 1, what does Steina burn before her parents can see it?

5. Why does Agnes wake up every morning in Chapter 3 with a "blow of grief to her heart" (58)?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Agnes feel about her conviction at the start of the narrative?

2. What does Margret think about the morning after Agnes' arrival?

3. How does Margret respond to Roslin's opinions? Why?

4. Why does Margret point out the ravens in the sky to Reverend Toti?

5. How does Blondal feel about asking the Assistant Reverend Thorvardur Jonsson to meet with Agnes?

6. How does Agnes argue with Reverend Toti about the meaning of 'truth'" (126)?

7. How is Reverend Toti's relationship with his father in relation to his time spent with Agnes?

8. How does Margret view Agnes while she is cleaning her?

9. How does Margret feel when she meets Agnes? Why?

10. Why might Agnes say, "What a person does, and to know a person is, very different thing" (103)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Paraphrase the following quotes and examine what they say about the human condition. What does a person want from life and what is lacking?

(Agnes) "I expected him (Reverend Toti) to understand me from the start. I want him to understand me, but I'm a fool to think we speak the same tongue. I may as well be talking to him with a stone in my mouth, trying to find a language that we both understand" (115).

(Agnes) "Toti wishes to hear about my family, but what I have told him has not been what he wants to hear. He must not be used to gnarled trees that grow in this valley, where the branches rope about one another, studded with thorns" (115).

Essay Topic 2

Ravens are frequently being referenced and appear during certain situations. What do the ravens represent and why does the author place them during certain scenes? Cite at least four examples and explain how they prove your representation.

Essay Topic 3

Express in your own words what Agnes means when she says, "To know what a person has done, and to know who a person is, are very different things" (103) Do you agree/disagree with this statement and why? What examples have you personally witnessed that are true to this sentiment?

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