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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 is the last name of Mattie’s Aunt Josie?

2. Where does is say Grace Brown lived on the register at the hotel?

3. How old is Mattie in the beginning of the novel?

4. What exams do Mattie and Weaver take in Chapter 11?

5. The House of Mirth is a novel written in what style?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why has Uncle Fifty left in Chapter 12? How does his departure affect Mattie?

2. How is the character of Weaver Smith described when he is introduced in Chapter 2?

3. How is Minnie Compeau’s character described in Chapter 2?

4. What is Aunt Josie’s reply when Mattie asks her for financial assistance in Chapter 8?

5. How is the character of Lawton Gokey described in the novel? How have Lawton’s actions influenced Mattie’s situation?

6. What book does Miss Wilcox give to Mattie in Chapter 15? What are Mattie’s impressions of the book?

7. What is an example from the novel of Mattie’s tendency for romantic idealization?

8. How is the character of Grace Brown depicted in the novel? What is the historical truth of this character?

9. How is the character of Emmie Hubbard described? What information does the reader learn of Emmie’s situation in Chapter 14?

10. What exchange takes place between Pa and Miss Wilcox in Chapter 12? What repercussions does this have for Mattie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the history of African Americans during the turn of the century, particularly in New York state. When was slavery abolished and where did many of the former slaves flee to? What protections were in place at this time for African Americans? How is this history presented in A Northern Light?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the early feminist movement and the suffrage movement in the United States. When did women begin to demand the right to vote and when was the right granted? What are some examples of early feminist authors, and what were their main causes at the turn of the century? How does author Jennifer Donnelly depict this movement in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the language style of the novel. How would you characterize the style of the dialogue of the characters? Does the author use specific idioms related to the setting of the narrative? What can you discern of the novel’s characters based on their style of speaking?

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