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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 year was Eulalie at the Harem of the Grand Turk published?

2. What does the young wife decide to do to keep her husband away?

3. What does the young wife say her husband smells of?

4. How long does the young wife say the desk is?

5. Where does her husband live?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do you know about Marquis's from other popular fiction?

2. How does the Marquis seduce the young wife?

3. What do you think is the significance of the opal?

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

5. In what ways has the young wife grown up in a short space of time?

6. What do you think is the significance of the sea?

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

8. Why do you think Carter is so descriptive about the dead bodies?

9. Why do you think Carter focuses so much on the young girl's body?

10. Describe the piano tuners background.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Carter uses many conventions from folk and fairy tales. What conventions do you recognize from the book? Take two examples and discuss how Carter uses them. Does she give them new meaning.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

The piano tuner suggests the community and the Marquis' household suspects he is a murderer. What hold do you think the Marquis has over these people?

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