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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who admits breaking the Quimper bowl?

2. What story does Léonie tell Baptiste?

3. What does Thérèse say Léonie can do?

4. Of what does Léonie accuse Thérèse?

5. How is the church decorated?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are two sides to the Martin house. One side is proper and presentable, and the other is full of darkness and threatening secrets. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. Describe both parts of the Martin house and list some of the imagery associated with each part.

2. Can the Martin house be an analogy for humans, i.e., we all have a "dark" and a "light" side to our personalities. Discuss yourself or someone you know and the traits that's that you consider dark or light and show how those traits can be said to belong to one part of the Martin home or the other. Explain why you assign a trait to one side or the other.

3. Literature is replete with the idea that life is duality--good or evil, hot or cold, sad or joyful.... But much of life rather than being a duality is various shades or mixtures of opposites. Talk about this idea and use examples both from Daughters of the House and your own experiences.

Essay Topic 2

Chapters 25-28 are predominantly concerned with the process of Antoinette's imminent death and then her death. Death is viewed differently by different characters depending on their religious views and their relationship to the one dying, in this case, Antoinette. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. How does Antoinette's imminent death and then subsequent death affect the following characters: Léonie, Thérèse, Louis, and Madeleine. Cite specific examples.

2 After conducting some research, compare and contrast Judaism's view of death versus the Roman Catholic view.

3. Discuss how you felt when someone close to you was dying and then after the person died. Are any of the emotions present in the novel similar to yours? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Chapters 18 and 19 both obliquely refer to the rape of Antoinette by a German soldier during WWII. There are a number of references throughout the text that implies that Thérèse, and perhaps even Léonie is a product of this rape. Answer the following questions in a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. List and discuss the references throughout the novel that suggests that Antoinette is raped by a German soldier. Include dreams, conversations, and any other sources. What is your interpretation of the textual evidence?

2. Discuss the references that suggest that Thérèse is a product of the rape. Are there references that imply that Léonie is not only Thérèse's sister, but her twin and is a product of the same rape? Find those references also. What do you believe about the parentage of the two girls? Support your statements with specific textual references.

3. Breasts are an obvious symbol of maternity in that women breastfeed their children. Discuss the implications of Antoinette's breast cancer and her role as a mother juxtaposed next to the fact that she is raped.

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