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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 has Miss Strangeworth written to Mr. Lewis in one of her letters?

2. What kind of flowers does Miss Strangeworth send to the church for the celebration of the new minister's arrival?

3. According to a town legend, what was Strangeworth House once mistaken for?

4. What do people in town assume it means when someone writes on blue paper?

5. When Miss Strangeworth gets home from the grocery store, why does she not have the cup of tea she thinks about having?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Miss Strangeworth write to Mrs. Harper, and what is she implying?

2. 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?

3. What is ironic about Miss Strangeworth's criticisms of Helen and Don Crane's parenting?

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

5. What evidence is there in the story that Miss Strangeworth is well-known and respected in the town?

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

7. Explain how Miss Strangeworth's need to do things perfectly is shown in how she writes her letters.

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

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

10. What worry does Helen Crane express about her baby daughter, and how does Miss Strangeworth respond to her concerns?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that explores the symbolic significance of Miss Strangeworth's habit of burning notes that are not perfect. Offer evidence from the story to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that explores the thematic motif of legacies in "The Possibility of Evil." Be sure to support your ideas with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that affirms, refutes, or qualifies the following claim: Miss Strangeworth functions like an omnipotent deity in her small town, introducing the "possibility of evil" and allowing the residents of "her" town to make their own choices about how to respond. Offer textual support from the story to support your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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