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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 does the young wife say the castle looks like when she switches on all the lights?

2. How does the young wife say the key fits into the lock?

3. How does the young wife say the crowd in the foyer parted?

4. Where does the mother shoot the husband?

5. Why can the young wife not socialize with the servants?

Short Essay Questions

1. Do you think the Marquis is a conventional murderer in term of literature?

2. Why do you think the young wife does not tell anyone what happened, but instead accepts the gossip?

3. Do you think the Marquis's servant play a role in the Marquis' crimes?

4. What is the mother's role in the story?

5. Describe what a catafalque is.

6. Why does the husband looking at his wife 'like horse flesh' take her breath away?

7. In what way does the marquis lie about the appearance of the corridor that leads to his secret room?

8. Why does the girl decide to enter the private room?

9. What is the significance of the key leaving a bloody heart on the young wife's forehead?

10. How can this novella be classed as a work of magic realism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look back at the period the book is written in. What were the concerns of this period? Does Carter reflect these concerns in the Bloody Chamber?

Essay Topic 2

The character of a Marquis has a history in fiction and popular culture. What meaning does the Marquis bring to the story? What other Marquis's are there from popular culture that shares similar characteristics.

Essay Topic 3

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact chronological setting of the novel. What year do you think it is set in? What clues are there to suggest it is from that year?

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