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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. What has Margaret found a job doing at the end of Chapter 8?

2. What does Job Legh have a passion for collecting?

3. Who is Sally Leadbitter?

4. Where does John need to travel to as a trade union delegate in Chapter 16?

5. What is a Chartist?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the Wilson twins in Chapter 7?

2. When Jem Wilson visits the Bartons at the beginning of Chapter 8, how does Mary treat him?

3. Why is John Barton upset upon his return from London?

4. What comment do two rude boys make about young Mary Barton in Chapter 2?

5. What resolution do Mr. Barton and his daughter make after Mrs. Barton's death?

6. What advice does Margaret offer Mary about her feelings for Jem?

7. According to the story she told Jem, what happened in Esther's life since she disappeared years earlier?

8. In Chapter 10, what does Jane Wilson tell Mary about her son Jem's plans?

9. Recount the confrontation between Jem and Harry Carson in the street.

10. Why does John Barton suggest the Carsons will be pleased at their mill burning down?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death is a recurring motif in the novel "Mary Barton". Discuss the deaths in the novel. What purpose do they serve? Why would Gaskell feature so many deaths in the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

The central theme of the novel, "Mary Barton" is the social differences between the rich and the poor. How are they treated in society? What struggles must each class face? Are they at all similar? How do they view one another?

Essay Topic 3

Gaskell uses language to make the characters more vivid and realistic. Discuss how Gaskell uses dialect and regional works to bring the Lancashire world to life.

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