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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 is painful to Aurelius about the story he tells to Margaret?

2. One day, instead of writing/interviewing, what task does Vida Winter ask of Margaret?

3. What clue makes John-the-Dig know that something is amiss with Charlie?

4. When Aurelius takes Margaret to his home, what does he do?

5. Where does Adeline look for Charlie?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the unnamed child's father?

2. Describe the odd conveyor belt that Ms. Winter discusses with Margaret.

3. Who takes care of the unnamed child?

4. In what state is Charlie's room when John-the-dig breaks down the door?

5. What is Margaret hoping to find when she looks in Winter's collection of "Jane Eyre" books?

6. After the strange discovery of human remains at Angelfield, why does Margaret go to see Mr. Lomax?

7. Why does the Missus neglect to tell Charlie about Isabelle's death?

8. Describe how the fire started.

9. Who was there for Margaret when she finally stopped her grieving after Vida Winter's death?

10. Why had Margaret's parents not told her about being a twin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Dicken's Study, Vida Winter says she creates in order to fill a deep void within. Discuss Vida Winter as a creative person. Do you agree that her troubled past might have made her a better storyteller and novelist? What were her particular demons? What makes her likable as a character? Unlikeable?

Essay Topic 2

Should we be our "brother's keeper?" In other words, when we see neighbors in need, what should our response be? If the townspeople had rallied sooner to intervene in the neglect of the children and the mental illness Isabelle, might tragedy have been averted? Discuss this idea in terms of the book, using citations from the book to prove your point.

Essay Topic 3

How is understanding family history helpful in understanding an individual? Winter says to Margaret that individuals are part of their family's story. Do you believe that an individual is so marked by his family or by the past events of a family that he or she is trapped by this background? Can a family so mark a person that he or she cannot change? Discuss this question as it relates either to Vida Winters or to Margaret Lea.

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This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample