View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the law for second marriages for commoners?

2. What is Joaquim's occupation?

3. Hearing what name causes everyone's attitude to change in the city that Birle and Orien are taken to?

4. What does Birle grow accustomed to doing as she and Orien talk?

5. What is the name of the Inn?

Short Essay Questions

1. Chapter 2 discusses a brief family background of Birle's. Who is Granda, Gran, Lyss, Da, and Nan and how are they related to Birle?

2. Why does Orien pretend to be like Ker and Torson when the brothers begin to look at Birle as a woman?

3. Briefly describe the discussion about Doubt that the Lord and Birle have.

4. What are the "treasures" Birle's grandparents bestow upon her and why are they so important?

5. Why did Birle used to shirk from her inn duties?

6. Up until Chapter 6, Birle has more or less played the man's role in catching fish, rowing the boat, and even saving the Lord by slitting a dog's throat. But in this chapter, how does the Lord finally portray traits that are deemed "manly" by society?

7. Describe how Birle is treated by the middling man.

8. What do the Lord and Birle discuss about second marriages and second wives?

9. What do the stranger and Birle discover about each other now that there is light, and how is it different from their initial impressions?

10. In the beginning of Chapter 2, the mysterious man is asleep while Birle lies awake, yet she is unafraid. What makes her not fear this man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Birle and Orien are two very different people. Compare and contrast not only their lifestyles but also their characters. How these two different people manage to get along? Use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

The concept of fear is used throughout the book, especially by Corbel. What is fear and how does it control a man? How does a man control it? How does a man use fear as a means of control? Discuss the ideas of fear and control as separate entities and how they work together. Use examples and characters from the book. Mention the times that Birle has been afraid and analyze why. Was it another person who made her afraid or an outside force? Was her fear justified?

Essay Topic 3

Yul is an interesting character who is present for a large portion of the novel. He has a special connection with Birle. Analyze and discuss this connection that they share. How did it start? Could Birle have this kind of connection with anyone else? What do these two go through together? What eventually leads them to separate? Does this mean that their connection is also severed?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,011 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample