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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 did the Captain's experience described in Chapter 5 take place?

2. What did Gaffett and his companion do after going on land?

3. What does Captain Littlepage say about the townspeople?

4. Why does the Captain believe he knows "the truth" about life after death?

5. How would you characterize the relationship between Mrs. Todd and her mother?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What drastic measures does Joanna take when her engagement is broken off?

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

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

5. What generational differences are revealed when the family reunion comes to an end?

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

7. During their visit to Mrs. Blackett's, Mrs. Todd and the narrator talk about love. What does Mrs. Todd's love story say about her character?

8. What is the narrator's first impression of Captain Littlepage when he arrives at the schoolhouse?

9. How does Mrs. Todd characterize the man Joanna was going to marry?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role does storytelling play in the novel? Please give specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

At the beginning of Chapter 12, the narrator introduces Mrs. Fosdick with the following words: "Except for a few stray guests, islanders or from the inland country, to whom Mrs. Todd offered the hospitalities of a single meal, we were quite by ourselves all summer; and when there were signs of invasion, ... I suffered much from apprehension. ... but after all, ... it was impossible not to sympathize with Mrs. Todd, who, ... was really delighted with the prospect of entertaining an old friend." Describe the novels themes of solitude and isolation vs. the importance of community by expanding on what the narrator means by this quote.

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.

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