View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many siblings does Elizabeth have?

2. How does Stone treat Elizabeth after they have sex in Chapter 9?

3. Where does Elizabeth stay in order to give her parents time to talk in Chapter 7?

4. What does Elizabeth tell Stone she will do with Nick's girlfriend in Chapter 10?

5. Where in Ireland is Elizabeth sent?

Short Essay Questions

1. What event does Elizabeth look forward to in Chapter 4? What does she worry might ruin this event?

2. How does Sean Sr. react when Sean Jr. enlists? What change occurs within the family ranks?

3. What paths do Aisling and Elizabeth pursue in Chapter 7?

4. In Chapter 10, to what does Aisling equate sex?

5. How does Joannie end up being sent to a convent school in Chapter 7?

6. What does Joannie Murray do in Chapter 4?

7. What does Elizabeth pray for in Chapter 5?

8. What overwhelms Elizabeth when she arrives at the O'Connor household?

9. What happens when Sean Jr. fails his Leaving Certificate examination?

10. How does Violet annoy Eileen in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and interpret the conclusion of the novel "Light a Penny Candle". What happens at the end of the novel? Are there any unanswered questions? Why might Binchy have chosen to end the novel when she did?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss love and romance in the novel "Light a Penny Candle". Who does Elizabeth first fall in love with? How does this relationship sway her decisions and affect the rest of her life? Does she find true happiness with her husband Henry? Why or why not? Does Aisling ever love Tony? Does she ever love Stone?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the death motif in the novel "Light a Penny Candle". Who dies in the novel and how do these deaths affect the characters and plot? What are the reasons for their deaths? What do the reactions of the loved ones left behind reveal of their relationships?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 680 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample