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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. Who does Aisling use as an excuse to get out of doing things in Chapter 4?

2. What deal is made between Elizabeth's parents in Chapter 7?

3. Where does Stone drive Elizabeth in Chapter 8?

4. For how many years does Sean Sr. say the English have humiliated the Irish?

5. In Chapter 9, according to Elizabeth, what, at her age has she grown past?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Violet worry about Elizabeth in Chapter 3?

5. What does Aisling report in a letter to Elizabeth in Chapter 6?

6. What does Sean Sr. want before he would allow Sean Jr. to fight with the English?

7. What decision do the adults in Elizabeth's life reach in order to settle their problems?

8. What secret does Eileen keep from her family in Chapter 5?

9. After leaving St. Mark convent school years ago, what have Violet and Eileen done with their lives?

10. How has Violet changed in the time Elizabeth has been away?

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 theme of friendship in the novel "Light a Penny Candle", specifically the friendship between Elizabeth and Aisling. In your opinion, why do they become such fast friends? What ups and downs does their relationship encounter over the years? How do they help one another during difficult times? In your opinion, why does their friendship endure?

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