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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. Who is the older sister of Emily that she describes as precocious and scheming?

2. What does Emily need to don in order to go to see Briony and to comfort her?

3. What kind of writer does Briony become at this point?

4. Who does Cecilia think has his eye on Lola, as she has observed from his behavior around Lola?

5. What is the unthinkable obscenity that the answer to question #52 utters?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Briony do when she has finished a piece of writing?

2. Why does Emily retreat to her bedroom each and every day?

3. What is Briony's reaction to her big brother when he approaches her?

4. What do the children do in response to Emily because her illness stops Emily from giving her children a mother's attention?

5. What does Emily think will prevent Cecilia from finding a husband?

6. Who does Emily trust to take care of things around the house while she tries to rest?

7. What mystery does Briony begin to contemplate as she is looking at her hand?

8. What does Cecilia try to do in order to recover the appearance of the vase?

9. Why is Lola embarrassed by Marshall?

10. Describe the state of Cecilia at the beginning of this section.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lola is the sister that does not necessarily seem that important to the story at first, but her role develops as the pages turn.

Part 1: Describe the character of Lola. What are some of the characteristics that set her apart from the others?

Part 2: What happens to Lola in the pivotal scene of violence?

Part 3: Why do you think Lola goes along with Briony's lie? Why does she not refute it?

Essay Topic 2

The tragedy of Briony becomes all the more disturbing when the reader finds out she has an illness at the end of the story.

Part 1: What is the illness of Briony at the end of this book?

Part 2: What does this illness seem to say about the idea of memories?

Part 3: What might this illness be symbolic of within the context of the story? In other words, what might this illness seem to say about the idea of memory and about holding onto one's memories?

Essay Topic 3

Lies seem to be pervasive in this story, but they seem to be taken as truths or at least ignored for the sake of those involved.

Part 1: What is the lie that Mr. Tallis tells again and again?

Part 2: Why does Emily believe her husband's stories, or at least, why does she live with the lies?

Part 3: What are other lies that are told in this story, other than the one Briony tells about Robbie and Lola? What do these lies do to the characters and to the action of the story?

(see the answer keys)

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