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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. How would you characterize Mrs. Blackett's demeanor?

2. How old does the Captain say he is?

3. How does Mrs. Todd react to the funeral procession?

4. What does the narrator conclude based on Mrs. Todd's revelation?

5. What made the narrator choose Dunnet Landing for her visit?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe Elijah's feelings for his late wife.

3. Elijah Tilley's character provides a number of surprises for the narrator. What are they?

4. Why does the narrator decide to rent the schoolhouse?

5. Choose one place described in the novel and describe its significance to the story.

6. What do you conclude from Joanna's revelation that she committed "the ultimate sin" and her advice to Mrs. Todd that she love her new husband?

7. Describe the way Mrs. Todd reacts to the narrator's leaving.

8. Using all of the information given in the story, describe how the townspeople feel about Joanna.

9. How does the narrator's relationship to Mrs. Todd change during their visit to Mrs. Blackett's?

10. Describe the relationship between Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Fosdick.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using several examples, discuss the role of death in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Explain how the author uses the Bowden family reunion to illustrate the importance of family to the people of New England.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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