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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 does Merricat consider replacing her father's book in the tree with?

2. Which of the following is not one of Merricat's powerful words?

3. Who is Jim Donell?

4. How do Merricat and Constance feel about having an uninvited guest in Chapter 2?

5. What does Constance want to wear in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Blackwoods' collection of preserves.

2. What does Merricat speak to Constance about playfully at the beginning of Chapter 5?

3. What does Constance consider wearing in Chapter 5? What does this tell us about her?

4. How does Merricat describe her sense that something is going to change is Chapter 4?

5. What do Helen and Mrs. Wright encourage Constance to do in Chapter 2?

6. Who does Helen Clarke bring with her to the Blackwoods'? How do Merricat and Constance feel about having an extra guest?

7. What does Merricat blame for the arrival of Charles Blackwood?

8. What is the first thing Constance says in the book, and what is its significance?

9. What does Mary Katherine imagine while she is shopping in order to distract herself from the villagers?

10. Where does Merricat go in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the conclusion of the novel. Are there any surprises at the end? Are there any unanswered questions? Did you enjoy the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the conflicts of the novel "We Have Always Lived in the Castle." Who is in conflict with whom and why? How do these conflicts affect the plot and the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and interpret Jackson's use of ambiguity. What are some examples of ambiguity in the novel? What might the meaning be behind these examples of ambiguity?

(see the answer keys)

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