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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 Harry bring with him to dinner?

2. Now that Bess is a widow, who do the Winthrops want her to consider marrying?

3. Who is crowned the Queen of May Day?

4. When does John Winthrop decide he is going to emigrate to the new world?

5. In what way does Bess' pregnancy restrict her?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the sad news that John Winthrop receives after he arrives in New England?

2. What is happening at Groton Manor which adds to Bess' anguish?

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

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

5. What is it about Anne Hutchinson's beliefs that is so appealing to Bess?

6. Why does Bess agree to marry the intellectual and boring Edward Howes?

7. Why has Bess become a controversial and suspicious character among the villagers in Watertown where she lives?

8. What would lead to the accusations that Harry's Egyptian servant, Peyto, is a witch?

9. What happens at Anne Hutchinson's trial for heresy?

10. What is the environment inside Groton Manor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the purpose of the Robert Feake character in the novel? Why does the author introduce him shortly after Bess' marriage to Harry? Discuss the literary device of foreshadowing and whether Feake's appearance can be classified as foreshadowing or just an accident in the plot. Why does the author craft the story so that Bess will be anchored to the insane Feakes later on in the story? What does Feakes represent in Bess' life each time he appears?

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

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?

(see the answer keys)

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