View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How has Ira Sargent created a calendar at the new farm?

2. What is a skiff?

3. What is Marguerite untangling as the novel begins?

4. Why does Marguerite only use French when she is alone?

5. What skill was Marguerite taught by the Sisters in a convent in France?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Marguerite's uncle as they approach the shores of America? What does Marguerite find most devastating about this?

2. How does Jacob Sargent injure himself during the Raising? How does Marguerite help to care for the child?

3. What does Aunt Hespa show and teach Marguerite about while walking across the pastures on Sunday Island?

4. What does Marguerite do when she wakes in the night and realizes a storm has taken control of the ship?

5. What causes Marguerite a rare moment of happiness during the Raising?

6. What does Aunt Hespa tell Dolly and Marguerite to do with the baby to ensure she will not play in the open fire in the main room of the house?

7. Why do the children need to be cleaned up? Why do they protest?

8. What is a Raising? Why does Caleb tell Marguerite it is important to the family?

9. How does Caleb react when he finds Marguerite and the children wondering alone in the woods?

10. Why are the captain and Joel Sargent surprised to find Caleb and Marguerite still on board the ship after the storm? What does Joel say about Marguerite?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Caleb? How does he treat Marguerite in the beginning of the novel? What does he think when Marguerite risks her life to help him save the animals during a storm? Does this change his perception of her? Why does Caleb lead Marguerite and the children into the woods and leave them alone? What happens when Marguerite tries to find her way home alone? How does Caleb feel about this? What do Caleb and Marguerite do together the night Debby is burned? How does this alter Caleb's opinion of Marguerite? How does Caleb feel when he learns that Marguerite might go to Canada to live in a convent? How does he react when she chooses to remain with the Sargents?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Dolly Sargent? Is she a good mother? Why does she refuse affection to her children? Why does Dolly protest the move to Maine? Why does she go anyway? How does Dolly react when she discovers there is no house on their new farm? Why does Dolly not insist on returning to the city? How does Dolly treat Marguerite? How does Marguerite respond to this treatment? Why does Dolly refuse to burn her child's fingers to keep her from touching fire? Why does she later regret it?

Essay Topic 3

Why do the Sargents throw a party when they are ready to raise the roof of the house? What is special about this occasion? How many of the party goers are expected to help with the work? Why does Dolly not help Marguerite find something a little more appropriate to wear? Why is Marguerite put in charge of the children, including some of the neighbor's children? What animal does Marguerite see trying to eat the cold butter? What does she do about it? What does this say about her? Why do the neighbors think a child's spilled blood in the doorway of the new home is bad luck? Is it?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,168 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample