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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 happens to Asta on the walk back to Summerhouse in Section 2?

2. Why does Asta snuggle closer to Bjartur while they are sleeping in the same bunk?

3. What does Bjartur do the day before the round-up in Section 1?

4. Who is Asta Sollilja?

5. What is the name of the river that Bjartur is pulled into in Section 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Kolumkilli?

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

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

4. Who is Bukolla and how does she impact the family in Section 2?

5. What does Bjartur tell Asta Sollilja about Rosa in Section 2, and is he being honest?

6. What are examples of Nonni's imagination in Section 2?

7. How does the relationship between Asta Sollilja and Bjartur change over the course of Section 2?

8. How does Rosa describe Summerhouse when she first sees it in Section 1?

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

10. As the start of Section 2, what secret does Nonni reveal to his Granny?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although the novel is set in Iceland in the 1930s, there are multiple universal themes in the text that are timeless. Select 2 of these themes and write about how they are expressed in this story and how they are universally understood.

Essay Topic 2

On page 292, the Bailiff berates Bjartur for his stubbornness to stay in Summerhouse. Read the passage closely and analyze its meaning. How does the Bailiff's speech highlight Bjartur's hubris?

Essay Topic 3

Bjartur desires independence above all else. How does this blind desire for independence negatively impact his life?

(see the answer keys)

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