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

2. What does Miss Strangeworth tell Helen Crane about her worries?

3. How old is Miss Strangeworth?

4. What does Miss Strangeworth fail to notice about her letters?

5. Miss Strangeworth thinks that children mocking her would be "reprehensible" (426). What would their mocking be, in her opinion?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Miss Strangeworth's feelings about her roses.

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

3. What does Miss Strangeworth write to Mrs. Foster about her upcoming surgery, and what is she implying?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once the reader is aware of the story's "twist," many of the lines in the story take on a double meaning. Write an essay that explores these double meanings and the new dimension they contribute to a repeat reading of "The Possibility of Evil." Support your claims with direct quotations from the story.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you explain why the events in the story's final few pages--the events that lead to Miss Strangeworth's downfall--are ironic. Use textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Characters can be divided into those who are "static" (characters that do not meaningfully change during the course of a story) and those who are "dynamic" (characters that do change in meaningful ways). Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about which kind of character Miss Strangeworth is. Use textual evidence to support your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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