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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 two items does the teacher take out of his suitcase and handle with extreme care?

2. How old is Gvendur at the start of Section 4?

3. Why does Asta go to Rauthsmyri in Section 3?

4. What color shirt is the teacher wearing when the children meet him in Section 3?

5. Who sends the teacher to Summerhouse in Section 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Brynja?

2. Why does Gvendur not go to America, and how is he treated in Iceland afterwards?

3. What news does Nonni get at the end of Section 3, and what is his reaction?

4. What impact does the "ghost" of Summerhouse have on the parish in Section 3?

5. While remembering their mother in Section 3, what do the boys remember about the elves?

6. What does Einar of Undirhlith say about kings in Section 4?

7. What impact does WWI have on Iceland, as told in Section 4?

8. What does Bjartur do in retaliation for his sheep being killed in Section 3?

9. How do Bjartur's feelings about his new house change over the course of the novel?

10. What big news is revealed about Asta Sollilja in Section 3?

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

Which of the characters in the novel are static characters? Which are dynamic? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

What role does Christianity play in the novel? Consider which characters might represent Christianity and which might represent other religions.

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