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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 did Merricat's mother want to do to the summerhouse?

2. What does Merricat fantasize about turning Charles into?

3. Who does Jim Clarke bring to the house in Chapter 9?

4. What does Merricat feel within the house when she goes home in Chapter 8?

5. What does Merricat break in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Merricat and Constance say to each other when they are safe at Merricat's hiding place?

2. What is Helen Clarke's goal when she comes by the house in Chapter 9?

3. What claim does Julian make about Merricat in Chapter 7?

4. What does Constance apologize to Merricat about at the end of Chapter 9?

5. What does Merricat imagine at the end of Chapter 7?

6. How do the villagers act while the Blackwoods' house is burning? What does Charles do while the house is burning?

7. After the fire, what do the sisters find to use for clothing?

8. In Chapter 9, what does Merricat see and hear in the night from her hiding spot?

9. In Chapter 6, how does Merricat describe the way Charles has taken over her house?

10. In Chapter 6, what does Merricat take from her father's room and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the relationship between Constance and Merricat. How do these sisters get along? Discuss the dynamic of their relationship.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and interpret the secondary characters of the novel. Who are they and what are their defining character traits? How are they related to the protagonist? What is their role in the novel?

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?

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