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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 kind of flowers does Lucrezia have on her wedding day?

2. What story does Lucrezia like to hear repeatedly from her parents as a child?

3. Who is Lucrezia's father's right-hand advisor?

4. What does Alfonso do before having sex with Lucrezia?

5. What is the setting of Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso called?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Cosimo a bit reluctant to have Lucrezia marry the Duke?

2. What does Lucrezia struggle to ask her mother in the carriage on the way to the wedding?

3. What does Lucrezia often do during group lessons with her siblings?

4. What does Lucrezia wonder about Alfonso's feelings at their wedding?

5. Why does Lucrezia feel so alone at the country fortress in Part II?

6. What does Lucrezia think of Leonello?

7. Why does Lucrezia almost feel that she wants to die in Part II?

8. What does Lucrezia think of her wedding gown?

9. What does the Duke want more than anything?

10. What is one cause of the trouble between Alfonso and his own mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does O'Farrell establish and build suspense throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How do Lucrezia's earliest days at court underscore the entrenchment of the patriarchy? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think the author chose to write this novel in the "close third person"? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 510 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample