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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. Who was the youngest of Margaret's children?

2. Who catches pneumonia after having the chicken pox and almost dies?

3. What is another name that Margaret knows for water moccasins?

4. Where does Margaret see her grandmother's spirit immediately after the funeral?

5. Why does Abigail cry after the birth of her second child?

Short Essay Questions

1. On moving to Madison City, what does Abigail recall being told about her mother.

2. What does Abigail remember about Robert as a child?

3. What does Abigail remember about the first part of her life?

4. Describe the Howland kitchen.

5. Describe the only act of affection between her grandfather and Margaret that Abigail witnesses.

6. What does Margaret's first bedroom at the Howland home look like?

7. What is the story of the hoop snake?

8. What does Abigail remember about family vacations?

9. How long does the great-grandmother's funeral last?

10. Without medical help, one of the children could died from pneumonia. What do the Howlands do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the book, Abigail has taken steps to enact her revenge. She demonstrates that she is the one in power. If she is indeed, in power, then why does the book end with her unraveling into tears?

Essay Topic 2

What is the purpose of naming a child after a parent, in particular, naming sons after their fathers? When William Marshal Howland has a son, he is named only William Howland with the explanation that "his mother having come from ordinary people with no feeling for their name." Is naming of children tied to class or status?

Essay Topic 3

Has Margaret ever felt love in her life? If so, from whom? How is this love demonstrated? If a child doesn't feel love, what can be the result?

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