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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. When the landlady looks "earnestly" into Billy's face, what type of word is "earnestly"?

2. According to Billy, how old is Mr. Mulholland's guestbook entry?

3. How does Billy feel about the price of the bed and breakfast?

4. According to the landlady, what is the law of the land?

5. According to the landlady, how much does the bed and breakfast cost per day?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the landlady, why does she always keep a room ready?

2. Upon entering the bed and breakfast, what does Billy notice about the entranceway that strikes him as odd?

3. As Billy waits in the sitting room for the landlady, how does he consider his surroundings? How does he consider himself?

4. What reaction does Billy have to the information he finds in the guestbook?

5. According to Billy, what are his plans for the night, as he tells the landlady in his room?

6. What objects does the landlady carry into the sitting room while Billy is waiting there?

7. What information does Billy discover in the guestbook?

8. According to Billy, where did he see the names of the previous guests? What does he believe about the two men?

9. According to the landlady immediately after she welcomes Billy inside, how many people are staying at the bed and breakfast?

10. According to the landlady, who stays on the first and second floors?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Billy and the landlady. How are they similar, and how are they different? What does each want? Support your answers with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

What is the message in “The Landlady”? What point do you think the author might be trying to convey to readers?

Essay Topic 3

What makes Billy so attractive to the landlady? Discuss three of Billy’s traits that contribute to his demise.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 621 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample