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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 hope would happen to the people who come to her house uninvited?

2. What kind of day does Merricat say it will be in Chapter 5?

3. What do the village children call Mary Katherine?

4. What is the name of Merricat's uncle?

5. What do Merricat and Constance find Charles doing in the kitchen in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Mary Katherine think of the villagers?

5. Why has Charles never come to help the Blackwood sisters before?

6. Where does Merricat go in Chapter 4?

7. What does Julian ask Charles about at breakfast? How does Charles act toward Julian?

8. How does Stella act around Mary Katherine in Chapter 1?

9. What does Merricat come up with to keep the change away?

10. Who are Julian and Jonas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Jackson's use of irony. What are some examples of irony in the novel? How do these examples affect the reader's experience?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and interpret the character Constance. What are her defining character traits? What is her role in the story? How is she related to the protagonist? Is she an important character?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the motif of superstition in the novel. Which character(s) are superstitious? What are some examples of superstition in the novel? Why might Merricat be superstitious? What are some examples of when Merricat exhibits superstitious behavior?

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