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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Mary, startled by the envelope's contents, cries out and rises to her feet, how does Ned react?
(a) He quietly tells her to sit back down.
(b) He looks cornered and guilty.
(c) He laughs loudly and tells her to stop being dramatic.
(d) He rushes to her side to comfort her.

2. For the past week, what has Mary been assuming is the cause for Ned's need to be alone and his odd mood?
(a) She thinks that he has seen the ghost.
(b) She thinks that he regrets moving to England.
(c) She thinks that his book is not going very well.
(d) She thinks that he misses having a regular job to go to.

3. What does Ned's motive seem to be when he first brings up the subject of whether the house has a ghost?
(a) He is looking for an excuse to back out of buying the house.
(b) He is joking about how old the house is.
(c) He thinks that living in a "haunted" house will add to his reputation as a writer.
(d) He is trying to frighten Mary.

4. On page 95, Mary mentions the "fun of the frisson." What is a frisson?
(a) A teasing remark.
(b) A sensation of chills or prickling down one's back.
(c) A frightening story.
(d) The feeling of "butterflies" in one's stomach.

5. Who is the author of "Afterward"?
(a) Henry James.
(b) O. Henry.
(c) Shirley Jackson.
(d) Edith Wharton.

6. What does Mary conclude she needs to do in order to see the ghost?
(a) Make a habit of speaking out loud to the ghost.
(b) Find out whose ghost it is supposed to be.
(c) Stop actively looking for it.
(d) Get to know the house better.

7. Why are Ned and Mary so interested in living in an isolated location?
(a) They want peace and quiet to enjoy their new hobbies.
(b) They are afraid of the crime associated with larger populations.
(c) They are very introverted.
(d) They want to avoid questions about their money.

8. When the story refers to "Boyne," who or what is being referred to?
(a) Ned.
(b) Ned's father.
(c) The house.
(d) Mary.

9. When Mary thinks back on the October visit from the mysterious man, she thinks that it "had no mark of the portentous" (86). What does this mean she felt about the visit at the time that it happened?
(a) It was an obvious breach of etiquette.
(b) It did not seem to have any significant meaning for the future.
(c) It did not seem as confusing at the time as it would later become.
(d) It was clearly unlucky.

10. According to Alida, what is unusual about the ghost at Ned and Mary's new house?
(a) It can assume a physical form.
(b) No one knows they have seen it until quite a while after they actually see it.
(c) It can come and go--it is not "bound" to the house itself.
(d) It can take different forms depending on who is living in the house.

11. Why does the narrator say that Ned and Mary are "two romantic Americans" (83)?
(a) Because neither one has any common sense.
(b) Because they tell Alida a far-fetched story about their previous home.
(c) Because they are clearly deeply in love.
(d) Because they are not being practical about their search for a house.

12. What does Mary find in the envelope addressed to her?
(a) A letter from Parvis.
(b) A photograph.
(c) A newspaper clipping.
(d) An anonymous note.

13. When section "III" opens, Mary is spending the morning working outdoors. She goes into the area where the "espaliered" pear trees are (89). What kind of pear trees are these?
(a) They are trained to grow flat against the wall.
(b) They are miniature pear trees.
(c) They are grafted with many different kinds of pears on each tree.
(d) They are draped with nets to keep the birds away from the fruit.

14. What does Mary learn from the contents of the envelope?
(a) Bob Elwell is dead.
(b) Her husband is being sued.
(c) Her husband is a criminal.
(d) All of their money is gone.

15. What causes Mary to finally be certain that the ghost was Bob Elwell?
(a) She sees a picture of Elwell.
(b) Her visitor recognizes him from her description.
(c) She reads a letter that Elwell wrote.
(d) Her visitor sees the ghost and knows that it is Elwell.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Mary believe that people should not talk about seeing ghosts?

2. When Ned speeds off to talk with the mysterious visitor on that day in October, why does it take Mary so long to follow?

3. On page 84, the narrator links isolated environments to "acuities of emotion." What are "acuities of emotion"?

4. What have Mary's new neighbors told her about the ghost?

5. From what period is Ned and Mary's new home?

(see the answer keys)

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