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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 is Anne's brother who still lives at home?

2. Who does Bess learn will be arriving soon at Groton?

3. What does Thomas Fones, while on his deathbed, ask of John Winthrop?

4. Where does the family insist that Harry go instead of returning to Barbados?

5. Why is the Winthrop family in mourning?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Bess' state of mind in Chapter 4?

2. What happens on Fasting Day in Chapter 11?

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

4. Explain the technique of foreshadowing and how the author uses it as Bess enters married life at Groton Manor.

5. Who makes an unexpected visit to Bess and her daughter, Joan?

6. What is the environment inside Groton Manor?

7. Who is William Coddington and what is Bess' opinion of him?

8. Why is John Winthrop worried after his ship sets sail for New England?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Does Bess' openness and sense of adventure put her family at risk? Explain her encounters with Indians as an example. Does Bess assume that everyone has authentic motives as she does? Is Bess' naivete a danger to herself or to the colony? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Elizabeth (Bess) Fones. What is her fundamental personality? What is it about her that causes such consternation within the Winthrop family? Given Bess' independent nature and spirit of adventure, she seems suited to be a women's rights leader. Is Bess born ahead of her time? Why or why not? How does Bess' personality both help her and hinder her throughout her life?

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