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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. When the narrator first meets Chloe, what is his impression of her mother?

2. In "Section 1: Part 1", what does the narrator overhear Anna say after he has a drink?

3. In "Section 1: Part 5", how does the narrator describe the chance to be with the Grace family at a picnic?

4. How does the narrator describe Miss Vavasour's appearance?

5. Why does the narrator contrast Anna's father with Anna?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Section 1: Part 5", how does the narrator describe Anna's father?

2. What narrative technique does the narrator use when describing the first time he was alone with Mrs. Grace?

3. What makes the narrator interested in his room at The Cedars?

4. In "Section 1: Part 4", how does the narrator describe human sorrow?

5. What did the narrator see the first time he saw the Grace family?

6. How does the narrator say he felt after meeting Avril?

7. When the narrator first met Chloe, what was his own family doing?

8. In "Section 1: Part 1", what does the narrator remember about visiting the doctor with Anna?

9. In "Section 1: Part 3", what memories of Claire does the narrator have?

10. At the end of "Section 1: Part 2", how does the narrator describe his mind?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the narrator's professional life in this novel?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the use of shifting tenses in this novel. Is it effective? How or how not? Is it distracting? How or how not? Why might the author have the narrator tell his stories in this way?

Essay Topic 3

How is disappointment a theme in this novel? What message about disappointment is conveyed?

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This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample