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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 does Rachel joke that Aunt Phoebe died of?

2. What condition causes Ambrose to go abroad in the winters?

3. Why does Philip think Ambrose had a premonition about his death before he left the last time?

4. What does Ambrose bring back from his travels abroad?

5. What does Rachel tell Philip he can do in her boudoir that surprises him?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Ambrose say that Rachel is related to the Ashley family?

2. What does the servant at the villa tell Philip was Ambrose's and Rachel's normal routine in the summer?

3. Why does Ambrose tell Philip that Tom Jenkyn had no excuse for killing his wife?

4. Why does Nick Kendall think it was wrong for Ambrose to have brought Philip up without women in his life?

5. What reason does Rachel give in her letter for having taken all of Ambrose's possessions from the villa after he died?

6. What does Rainaldi tell Philip the doctors said was the cause of Ambrose's strange behavior before his death?

7. Shortly after Rachel's arrival, why does Tamlyn fail to come and collect his pay at the usual time?

8. Why does Rachel wear only one color of gown?

9. What does Philip find striking about the portrait he sees hanging in Aunt Phoebe's rooms before Rachel comes?

10. Why does Rachel say she felt strange when arriving at Philip's house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Money, or the lack of it, changes the way that people think and act. The author shows this through both Philip and Rachel. Write an essay explaining how money affects the lives of both characters and examining how the author uses the characters to support this idea.

Essay Topic 2

Though the topic of the novel is a serious one, the author still finds ways to infuse the book with humor. Write an essay explaining how the author uses humor. How does humor affect the reader’s perception of the characters? What does the author hope to achieve through humor?

Essay Topic 3

The information revealed about Rachel’s past casts a shadow over her, leaving readers wondering if she is good or evil. Write an essay explaining how the author uses information from Rachel’s past as well as subtle clues to influence readers’ opinions of Rachel, and how those clues might be interpreted in different ways.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 700 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample