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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. The narrator describes her baby girl as what in “The Wife’s Story”?

2. Mrs. Palmer remembers when she wakes up in “Anne” that George Forbes is now what?

3. By what name does the narrator say she called her husband in their first six months of marriage in “The Wife’s Story”?

4. Where do the narrator and her husband live before they move in “The Wife’s Story”?

5. The narrator states in “Anne” that Mrs. Palmer once went all the way to Philadelphia to hear an Italian stroller named what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the plot of “Anne” relate to the life of author Rebecca Harding Davis?

2. When and why did Hester’s marriage begin to change in “The Wife’s Story”?

3. What consumes Mrs. Palmer’s thoughts when her character is introduced in “Anne”?

4. How would you describe the character of Hester in “The Wife’s Story”? What information is established about Hester in the opening of the story?

5. Where does Mrs. Palmer travel in “Anne”? How does she fund her travels?

6. What happens when Mrs. Palmer encounters George Forbes on the train in “Anne”?

7. What does Hester do after leaving her family in “The Wife’s Story”?

8. What was the ultimate changing point in the marriage between Hester and Dr. Manning in “The Wife’s Story”?

9. What does the narrator note about the character of Mrs. Palmer in the ending of “Anne”?

10. What conflict arises in “The Wife’s Story” relating to Hester’s musical ambitions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the narrative style of “Anne.” How does this narrative style differ from the previous stories in the collection? How would the story differ if it were told from a first-person perspective? Who is the narrator of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Poverty and Oppression in Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories

a. Discuss the theme of oppression seen in “Life in the Iron Mills.” What is the origin of this oppression? Is the antagonist of the story a person or a concept?

b. How does the theme of oppression apply to “The Wife’s Story” and “Anne”? In what ways are the protagonists of these stories oppressed?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the central conflicts in “The Wife’s Story.” Why is Hester conflicted about the move to Newport? Why does Hester choose not to share her thoughts and ambitions with her husband? Are the central conflicts in the story internal or external?

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