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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. Where does Iris find Laura's schoolbooks?

2. Where does Iris find the things Laura had stashed away at Avilion?

3. What does Laura call Iris's unborn child?

4. In chapter 9, the girls visit Reenie at what establishment where she works?

5. In Laura's Latin book, Iris finds a passage from what work?

Short Essay Questions

1. In chapter 12, what is the significance of the yellow curtains?

2. According to the article at the beginning of chapter 12, what are Richard's views about Germany?

3. According to chapter 10, what is the political climate in Spain?

4. According to clues in chapter 10, who do you think is the woman's equivalent in Iris's memoir and why?

5. In chapter 10, the woman imagines the man in a variety of situations. Describe one of these situations.

6. How does the man and woman's story about the blind assassin and the tongueless girl end?

7. What does Laura say in chapter 11 that upsets Winifred?

8. About what does the woman dream at the end of chapter 12?

9. In chapter 13, why does Walter come over to Iris's house?

10. On one of the articles, Richard warns his fellow Canadians about politics overseas. What does he warn them about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the characters have very strong beliefs for which they are willing to sacrifice their lives and their livelihoods. In fact, many of the character's deaths are directly or indirectly caused by their stubborn adherence to their belief system. Choose a character and detail that particular character's belief system and how it influences the way this character lives. Are these beliefs deeply ingrained enough that this character is willing to die or suffer for them or are they fluid depending on the social climate?

Essay Topic 2

Aimee blames her mother for Laura's death. Iris, too, blames herself for Laura's death, but defends herself by saying she did not choose her actions, but was rather forced into them. Is Iris responsible for Laura's death, and if so, what could she have done to prevent it and if not, why not?

Essay Topic 3

Laura tells Winifred that marriage is not about love, it is about business. Do you think that the marriages in the novel support this view? Are there any loving marriages or are they all solely business arrangements? Is Laura right to find marriage outdated? Within the marriages that you classify as predominantly business arrangements, is there any elements of love? Do you think that the idea of relationships based on business rather than affection is confined to marriage? What other relationships in the novel are based on business rather than friendship or love?

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