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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 was the name of Hortensia's classmate, nicknamed "K"?

2. Who is Mr. Marx?

3. Who is Marelena?

4. Which nurse does Hortensia actually like?

5. Where does Marion first stay while her home is being repaired?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Marion’s daughter Marelena feel about Marion’s displacement from home?

2. Why does Hortensia walk to the Koppie?

3. How do Hortensia and Marion first meet?

4. What does Hortensia cite as her “last remaining comfort” in the world?

5. Why does Marion prefer her dog to her late husband?

6. Why does Marion label Hortensia "a thief"?

7. How does Hortensia feel when Peter dies?

8. Why does Dr. Mama visit Hortensia? What is their interaction like?

9. Why does Marion enjoy working with Frikkie on her home reconstruction?

10. Why does Hortensia arrange for Marion to be her nurse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does South Africa’s history of Apartheid impact the plot of The Woman Next Door? In what ways does this history impact the setting? In what ways does it impact the relationships between the characters?

Essay Topic 2

Hortensia and Marion may seem like very different women on the surface, but they have many similarities. Compare and contrast their overall life histories and world views.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Hortensia’s perception of and struggles with the concept of motherhood. How does this compare to Marion’s struggle?

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