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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. Why is the convent not allowed to cut Sierva's hair?

2. What does Bernarda believe was the beginning of her downfall?

3. What drug does Judas introduce to Bernarda?

4. What does Don Ygnacio do for Sierva that she resents him for in chapter one?

5. What bites Sierva in the marketplace?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the connection between the skull found in the crypts of the convent and the author's memories of a legend?

2. Why does the Marquis give his daughter to the Holy Office?

3. What condition does the beginning of the book find Bernarda in and why?

4. How does Ygnacio's first wife deal with her husband?

5. Why must the convent not cut Sierva's hair?

6. Why does Ygnacio's father object to his son marrying Dulce Olivia?

7. How does Bernarda force the Marquis into marriage?

8. What happens to Sierva while in the marketplace?

9. How does Bernarda spend her time on the sugar plantation and in what condition does she return?

10. Describe the character of the Bishop.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the paradox of Sierva being subjected to a torturous exorcism so that other characters may rid themselves of their own demons. Citing specific examples from the text, write an essay discussing one of the following:

- What is her family's role in her behavior and her subsequent imprisonment?

- The Bishop's perceived failure to keep everyone faithful to the church.

- The Abbess's extreme distaste for the citizens of New Grenada.

Essay Topic 2

What is significant about "The Four Books of Amadis of Gaul?" Why is this book banned by the church and confiscated from Cayetano in his youth? How does this relate to Dr. Abrenuncio and, especially, Father Cayetano? Do the classic literary connections "The Four Books of Amadis of Gaul" mirror any changes that happen to the doctor and the priest? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Citing specific examples from the text, write an essay discussing one of the following:

- Bernarda as a symbol of New Grenada's decay.

- The use of dogs as objects of fear as opposed to faithful companions.

- Sierva's Santeria jewelry and their representation of a non-biased person.

(see the answer keys)

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