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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 are the ladies discussing when the two girls decide to go down to the cellar?

2. Of what is Antionette's mouth full?

3. Why is Léonie afraid of being alone in the room where she is sleeping?

4. Why does Thérèse bang her head against the floor?

5. What has Léonie pretended for 20 years?

Short Essay Questions

1. To what do you think Léonie's dream in "The Red Suitcase," is related and of what do you think the suitcase is symbolic?

2. In the chapter, "The Dustpan," what is Thérèse's "public" version of why she broke the Quimper dish and what is evident later as to why she breaks it?

3. In "The Writing Table," what is Léonie doing on the advice of her lawyer and why?

4. How is it intimated that parts of the house are "open," and other parts "secreted," just as the two girls are open in some ways and secretive in others?

5. What is symbolized by Léonie's lying in the woods and undressing to have sex with Baptiste?

6. In "The Onyx Ashtray," what are the ways the Priest conspires to keep the knowledge about the found bones from becoming a focus for the media?

7. Describe the vision experience that Thérèse has in this chapter.

8. What rather strange and perhaps a bit disturbing fact is revealed about Léonie in this chapter?

9. What is the implication of Madeleine scolding Thérèse for upsetting her father on his first day home?

10. In the previous chapter, the reader notices that Léonie embraces physicality as seen by her fascination with defecation; in the chapter, "The Frying Pan," what does it seem that Thérèse embraces?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are many statements throughout this novel about church, Jesus, Christianity, and in particular, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Additionally, reference is made about Jews, though the Jewish religion is not mentioned too much. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. Take three characters and trace their references to religion throughout the novel. Evaluate how strongly each character feels about his/her spiritual life and what each believes. Be sure to cite specific examples to support your statements.

2. Compare and contrast the way the main characters and the village people view Christianity versus Judaism and Christians versus Jews. Be sure to cite specific examples to support your statements.

3. Is this novel about religion and spirituality? If references to religious ideas and beliefs were removed, how substantially would the novel be impacted? Discuss using specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

The keeping of secrets is a recurring theme in this novel. Both Thérèse and Léonie withhold secrets from each other as girls; the adults withhold secrets from the children; the house holds secrets from the past, and Antoinette holds some secrets from both the adults and the children. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. Discuss the secrets Thérèse and Léonie hold from each other and why you think they do this. Give specific details and examples from the book.

2. Discuss the secrets the adults withhold from the children. Why do they do this? Is it wise to do so? Do adults in general tend to keep too much from children? Why or why not.

3. Discuss Antoinette's secrets and what you think they are and why you think she keeps them secrets. Is that healthy? She is the only one to get ill and die in the novel--could there be a correlation between her secrets eating away inside her and her getting cancer?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 29, the differences between the English and French and the Roman Catholic religion and the Anglican religion are very visible. Answer the following questions in a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. How different are the English from the French as suggested in this novel? Give specific examples.

2. Do you think there is such as big a difference in the culture of the two countries in the 21st century as in the time frame when the novel first opens (1950's)? Why or why not?

3. What are the major differences between the Roman Catholic Church beliefs and that of the Anglican Church? (You may have to do a little research).

(see the answer keys)

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