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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. When the nuns steal Sierva's necklaces, what happens that forces the women to return the jewelry?

2. What is the new Viceroy's name?

3. In what state is Cayetano over Sierva during the Viceroy's visit?

4. What information does Cayetano give to the Bishop after the natural event of chapter four?

5. What request does the Abbess make to the Bishop in regards to Sierva?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Abbess complain about to the Bishop in Chapter 4?

2. Why does the Vicereine take an interest in Sierva's fate?

3. What does the Bishop claim about maintaining faith to the Viceroy?

4. Why does Chapter 4 end with Cayetano whipping himself?

5. How does Martina help Sierva?

6. How does Sierva react when she is first introduced to the Abbess?

7. What happens to Cayetano during the eclipse?

8. What is significant about the book Cayetano speaks of to Dr. Abrenuncio?

9. How do Cayetano and Dr. Abrenuncio bond?

10. How is Sierva comforted by the slave women in the convent?

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

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.

Essay Topic 3

"[The Bishop] spoke of Yucatan, where they had constructed sumptuous cathedrals to hide the pagan pyramids, not realizing that the natives came to Mass because their sanctuaries still lived beneath the silver altars. He spoke of the chaotic mixing of blood that had gone on since the conquest: Spanish blood with Indian blood, and both of these with blacks of every sort, even Mandingo Muslims, and he asked himself whether such miscegenation had a place in the Kingdom of God."

Using this quote from the book as a springboard, discuss the story as an overall allegory for racism. Keep in mind the treatment of the slaves, Sierva's attachment to the African culture and her own racial background, and the use of the character of Sagunta and the motives of the Bishop in performing an exorcism on Sierva.

(see the answer keys)

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