View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the longest time that Miss Strangeworth has been away from her town?

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

3. Who is Ethan Allen?

4. When Miss Strangeworth discovers how much trouble she has caused for Linda and Dave, what does she think about it?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Describe Miss Strangeworth's relationship with Tommy Lewis.

8. To whom do the townspeople want to dedicate a statue, and why does Miss Strangeworth say that it should be a statue of her grandfather, instead?

9. 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?

10. What is ironic about Dave Harris being the one to find and deliver Miss Strangeworth's dropped letter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about the significance of food-related details in "The Possibility of Evil." Be sure to support your ideas with textual evidence.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that examines the significance of the repetition of the phrase "lovely day" in "The Possibility of Evil." Support your claims 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)

This section contains 1,014 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample