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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. Gideon finds books on which of the following subjects on Neuilly’s shelves?

2. With which of the following does Chapter XII begin?

3. From which language does Gideon note “salient” derives?

4. At what time does Esther Tull arrive at the Strythe house?

5. At which police station does George speak with a sergeant as he works to assist Octavia?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Esther Tull note feeling called to prayer?

2. What remarks does Cutter’s landlady make regarding Gideon’s appearance as a sergeant?

3. What reason for pride does Esther Tull have in her self-stitching?

4. What explanation does Gideon give for not being able to find his uncle’s dwellings?

5. When he takes her out on a walk, how does Gideon offend Angela?

6. What does Carew observe Strythe means to offer up for a charity auction?

7. For what reasons is Gideon anxious to meet with his uncle in his dwellings?

8. What sounds does Esther Tull note associate with the safe in Strythe’s workroom?

9. How does Esther Tull note having regarded snow as a child?

10. What lunch does Octavia prepare for herself after her fruitless pursuit of information about Strythe and his travels?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Overall, what effect does the back matter of the novel have for the reader, and how is that effect achieved?

Essay Topic 2

Sources attest to the presence of The House on Vesper Sands on best-seller lists. Assuming that sales figures reflect popularity, what accounts for the popularity of the novel? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 3

Who is the protagonist of the novel? How does the novel support such an assertion?

(see the answer keys)

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