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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 Constance bake in Chapter 6?

3. Who killed the Blackwood family?

4. After the fire, what do the girls do particularly during the afternoons?

5. How does Julian describe Charles?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Merricat notice is different when she returns home in Chapter 8?

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

3. What finally gets the villagers to leave the Blackwoods' property?

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

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

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

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

8. What mistakes does Constance say she has made in Chapter 6?

9. In Chapter 6, what does Charles say when Merricat asks him to go away?

10. What does Charles say he wants to go through in Chapter 6? How does Julian react?

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

Analyze and interpret the character Merricat. What are her defining character traits? Is she a reliable narrator?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the motif of loyalty in the novel "We Have Always Lived in the Castle." Who is loyal to whom? In what way does Constance's loyalty to her sister negatively impact her life? Is the loyalty between Merricat and Constance swayed at any time?

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