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. When Miss Strangeworth looks out the window after the story ends, what will she see?

2. What is the best definition of "proverbial" in the sentence "Miss Strangeworth's hats were proverbial in the town" (426)?

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

4. Who planted the roses outside Miss Strangeworth's house?

5. According to Miss Strangeworth, to whom should Helen apologize?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

5. 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?

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

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

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

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

10. 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?

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 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 3

"The Possibility of Evil" is studded with words like "graceful" and "dainty." Write an essay that explores the significance of this aspect of the story's diction. Support your claims with direct quotations from the story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,034 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample