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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 small gift does Asta buy for herself in town?

2. What generation of Icelandic pioneer is Bjartur?

3. Who is talking at the start of Section 2?

4. Who is Tilta?

5. How old is Nonni at the start of Section 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Sollilja's feelings about town change once she goes there in Section 2?

2. What is Bruni, in Section 1, and how does it help the farmers?

3. How does Bjartur express his connection to his dog in Section 1?

4. Who is Gunvor?

5. Who is Gullbra and what happens to her in Section 1?

6. In Section 1, how are the conversations between the men and women different on Bjartur and Rosa's wedding day?

7. How is the title of Section 2 ironic?

8. What does Bjartur find when he comes back to Summerhouse after he is out searching for Gullbra, in Section 1?

9. What do Bjartur and Rosa argue about on their way back to Summerhouse in Section 1?

10. What is the state of Summerhouse by the end of Section 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is the ending happy? Use evidence from the text to justify your response.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the relationship between Asta Sollilja and Bjartur. Consider all of the key episodes in their relationship that shaped it.

Essay Topic 3

On page 19, the Bailiff of Myri's wife says, "Rich people are never happy, she said, but poor people are happy practically without exception." (19). How does this quote represent Madam's mindset and how does this differ from the mindset of others in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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