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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Miss Strangeworth is walking "daintily" along Main Street, (417), how is she walking?
(a) Slowly, in an unsteady and careful manner.
(b) Boldly, as if she is in charge of her surroundings.
(c) Delicately, with small steps; in a charming way.
(d) Quickly, briskly, as if she is in a hurry.

2. When Miss Strangeworth thinks to herself "People must live graciously, after all," (425), what does this show about her as a person?
(a) She understands very little about other people.
(b) She wants everyone to have a life as nice as hers.
(c) She is a very selfish person.
(d) She understands the irony of her position in the town.

3. According to the narrator, how do the townspeople feel about Miss Strangeworth and her house and her roses?
(a) Proud.
(b) Jealous.
(c) Irritated.
(d) Amused.

4. Who is the author of "The Possibility of Evil"?
(a) Katherine Anne Porter.
(b) Henry James.
(c) Shirley Jackson.
(d) Flannery O'Connor.

5. Who is Ethan Allen?
(a) The librarian's boyfriend.
(b) Miss Strangeworth's next-door neighbor.
(c) A Revolutionary War hero.
(d) Miss Strangeworth's deceased husband.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Miss Strangeworth tell Mr. Lewis that he has forgotten to do?

2. Why does Linda Stewart refuse to tell Dave Harris what was in the letter to her parents?

3. When does Miss Strangeworth generally mail her letters?

4. The narrator says that Miss Strangeworth's letters "dealt with the more negotiable stuff of suspicion" (424). What is this saying about suspicion?

5. Why does Miss Strangeworth think that she has a right to eavesdrop on Linda Stewart at the post office?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the significance of the paper that Miss Strangeworth chooses for her anonymous notes.

2. Who is Linda Stewart, and why has she been so upset?

3. What is ironic about Miss Strangeworth's thoughts as she notices that various townspeople seem distressed?

4. Describe the setting of the story "The Possibility of Evil."

5. What details in the story let the reader know that Miss Strangeworth herself does not believe some of the accusations she is making?

6. What does the green letter at the end of the story say, and what does it imply?

7. Which writing utensils does Miss Strangeworth have available, and which one does she choose for her anonymous notes?

8. What details does Jackson provide about the interior of Miss Strangeworth's house to show the pride the family has always taken in the house?

9. Describe the main character of "The Possibility of Evil."

10. Describe the exterior of Miss Strangeworth's house.

(see the answer keys)

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