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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 does the boarding house housemaid decide to quit?

2. Why does Mrs. Hall cut off Katy's curls?

3. Who is Hyacinth anxious about keeping Floy's true identity from?

4. In Chapter XLV, what does Ruth notice about the people in her neighborhood?

5. Where does Mrs. Skiddy find her husband one day after he doesn't return from work?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is life like for Katy living with her grandparents?

2. What does Ruth worry about despite having found a newspaper to publish her work in Chapter LXII?

3. In Chapter LIII when Mrs. Skiddy finds her husband has not returned home from work, where does she find him?

4. What does Mrs. Millet have a conversation about with her husband in Chapter XLIV?

5. What sends a shudder down Ruth's spine in Chapter LIV?

6. Who does Ruth find has died at the hospital for the insane?

7. What does Mr. Walter talk Ruth into doing in Chapter LXXVI?

8. What surprise do Ruth and her daughters receive in Chapter XLIII?

9. What does Mr. Walter tell Mr. Lewis about Ruth in Chapter LXXIX?

10. How does Mr. Walter advise Ruth in Chapter LXXI?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and interpret the character Ruth Hall. What are her defining character traits? What is her background? What obstacles and struggles does she face throughout the novel? How does she treat those around her? How is she viewed by others?

Essay Topic 2

Who are the antagonists of the novel and why? How do they impact Ruth's life? How does she defeat them?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the setting of the novel "Ruth Hall", the Victorian era in America. How does the setting impact Ruth's choices and actions in the novel? How is Ruth confined to the social practices and rules of the time period?

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