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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. Where does Merricat find Jonas sleeping in Chapter 6?

2. How does Merricat refer to Charles in Chapter 7?

3. Who tells everyone at the house to stop taunting the girls?

4. What blocks the kitchen door when Constance and Merricat return home?

5. What does Merricat wrap around Constance in Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 7, what does Merricat decide to do on Thursday? What is special about Thursdays?

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

3. Faced with a ruined home, what do Constance and Merricat decide to do?

4. What do the girls decide to do in honor of Uncle Julian in Chapter 9?

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

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

7. How do the villagers show kindness in Chapter 10?

8. Why does Charles come back to the Blackwood house?

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

10. What act commences the villagers' attack on the Blackwoods' house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author of the novel, Shirley Jackson. What other works has she received recognition for? Is her work usually similarly-themed? Does she always write in the same genre?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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