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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. Who does John Winthrop's daughter, Mary, marry, much to his chagrin?

2. Who scolds the Indians for attempting to trade while claiming to be friends of the English?

3. How does the Fones family travel to the family manor in Groton?

4. Who does Bess see one day during a celebration?

5. Why is John Winthrop's wife, Margaret, ailing at Groton?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens on Fasting Day in Chapter 11?

2. Why does Bess marry Harry even though she is really in love with his brother, Jack?

3. Explain the circumstances of Elizabeth's (Bess) punishment by her uncle John?

4. What is the mood surrounding the adventure to the new world as Chapter 7 begins?

5. Why is Harry not John Winthrop's favorite child?

6. Why does Bess discuss the topic of Christmas with her father's apprentice?

7. What is the relationship of Elizabeth, the main character, to the powerful Winthrop family?

8. John Winthrop's good mood over the preparations for sailing to New England are dampened by what occurrence?

9. What is the symbolism of the celebration held by the people of Boston after John Winthrop's removal from office?

10. What is the status of John Winthrop's colony in Chapter 10?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do you think the trial of Anne Hutchinson reflects more negatively on John Winthrop than it does on Anne? Explain. After some research on the transcripts of Anne's trials, what opinion do you have of her? Was Anne an agitator or someone with pure motives? Why could John Winthrop make no allowances for Anne and just let her lead her own life? Was John's behavior motivated by religion or male dominance?

Essay Topic 2

Bess had originally loved her cousin, Jack, at the beginning of the book yet she married his brother, Harry. Explain Bess' hesitancy to declare her true feelings for Jack when it could have made a difference. Why would Bess settle for Harry when she did not love him? Explain the impact of making important life decisions when a person is too immature or caught up in the excitement of a fleeting feeling. How would Bess' life had changed if she had voiced her love for Jack early in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the wedding between Robert Feake and Bess. What is the symbolism in the joyless ceremony? What could Bess expect from married life after such a somber beginning? Why did Bess go through with the marriage in spite of her distaste for Feake?

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