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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 is the vendor approaching Margret's house?

2. Why does Mr. Holmes leave the mill by an indirect route?

3. What does Dr. Knowles tell Mr. Holmes he has been doing today?

4. Margret shares office space with ____________.

5. Who is the only one who feeds the caged chicken in Margret's office?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Mr. Holmes' thoughts as he walks past Margret's door?

2. Who does Mr. Holmes encounter when he returns to the mill after speaking to Margret?

3. What is the plan that Mr. Holmes intends to launch on Christmas Eve?

4. What is the point of view of the story?

5. How does Margret treat Mr. Holmes when he shows up at the Howth home on Christmas Eve?

6. In addition to Margret's engagement, what other good fortune occurs for the Howths on Christmas Day?

7. How does the author establish the bleak setting for the story and its protagonist's purpose for telling it?

8. Who arrives at the Howth house as Margret and Tiger are getting reacquainted?

9. What literary technique does the author use when writing this sentence: "These churches lifted their hard, stone faces insolently, registering their yearly alms in the morning journals."

10. Describe the scene in which Lois dies.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Margret and Miss Herne. Why would Mr. Holmes be attracted to each of them? Why does he make his final decision to marry Margret?

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study on Dr. Knowles. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point in his life?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration on the motif of loss. Identify at least two motifs about loss in the book. Then cite an example to support each example

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,043 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample