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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. What news led John-Paul to violently attack Janie?

2. Who takes the opportunity at the Easter parade to ask Tess about the previous evening with Connor?

3. Rachel remembers seeing Connor's mother a few times in what location?

4. Connor tells Tess that he has been seeing a therapist for how many years?

5. To whom does Principal Trudy give an Easter basket as a gift?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cecilia find out that her mother-in-law Virginia knows of John-Paul's culpability in Janie's death?

2. In what way does Rachel react to Principal Trudy's faux pas in Chapter 41 and why is it significant?

3. How does the theme of delusion enter the narrative in relation to Rachel's character?

4. What two aspects of motherhood had caught Tess by surprise upon having Liam?

5. What information does Samantha, Rachel's colleague, reveal to the reader about Connor's childhood?

6. What emotion keeps Tess from feeling pain when she thinks in Chapter 37 about her early days with Will?

7. What other actions does Cecilia think she will be taking if she lets "life just continue on" (262) normally after John-Paul's confession?

8. What standing appointment does Cecilia have with her mother-in-law Virginia each week and how does Cecilia view these visits?

9. How does Moriarty go about using Melbourne and Syndey as foil settings within the narrative?

10. In what way is the sound motif used in concert with one of the narrative's themes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the themes of deception and secrecy function within The Husband's Secret and what is Moriarty’s message regarding these themes?

Essay Topic 2

Trace the characterization arc of Cecilia’s character throughout the novel The Husband's Secret. Discuss whether Cecilia is a round or flat character and whether she is a static or dynamic character.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the interplay between the epilogue of The Husband's Secret and one of the novel's main messages. How does Moriarty make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the novel?

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