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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. Where does the narrator go to write in Chapter 1?

2. Why does Mrs. Todd say she wants to pick herbs on the island where Mrs. Blackett lives?

3. What does the narrator compare Dunnet Landing's cottage windows to?

4. How do the people of Dunnet Landing feel about Mrs. Todd?

5. What did Gaffett and his companion discover after sailing away from the shipwreck?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Elijah's home.

2. Describe the relationship between Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Blackett.

3. Describe Mrs. Blackett's attitude towards life.

4. How does the narrator feel about Mrs. Todd's reaction to her leaving? How can you tell?

5. How does Captain Littlepage spend his time while shipwrecked near the North Pole?

6. The novel uses a series of stories to describe life in this little town. Choose one of these stories told by the characters, paraphrase it briefly, and explain its significance.

7. How does narrator feel about Captain Littlepage's story?

8. Explain what Gaffett does while shipwrecked off the coast of Greenland. Focus on his activities.

9. Describe the connection Mrs. Todd draws between tansy and the human experience.

10. Mrs. Fosdick seems to have a special role in the community. What is her role? Explain.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When first meeting Captain Littlepage at the beginning of Chapter 5, the narrator states: "...Mrs. Todd had told me one day that Captain Littlepage had overset his mind with too much reading; she had also made dark reference to his having 'spells' of some unexplainable nature." How did her conversation with him confirm or contradict this view? Support your claims with concrete examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the various roles women in the novel take on.

Essay Topic 3

Drawing on what the reader learns from Mrs. Todd's conversation with the narrator in the pennyroyal patch on Green Island, describe the complexity of Mrs. Todd's relationship to her late husband.

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