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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 can the reader infer about Elgin before the narrator moves?

2. Who decided they had to be the one to walk away concerning Louise's illness?

3. Why is the narrator's boss a significant character?

4. At whose house do the narrator and Louise carry on an affair?

5. Which of the following best describes the narrator's emotional state while living in the countryside?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Louise say that she doesn't need treatment? Is she telling the truth?

2. According to the novel, how is love more important than societal opinions?

3. What is Elgin's goal throughout the novel? Has he achieved this goal yet?

4. How is Gail similar to Jacqueline?

5. What is Gail's role in the novel?

6. How does Louise affect the narrator's work?

7. Why might the reader be suspicious of Elgin's behavior?

8. How does the narrator prove deep love for Louise?

9. Why does the narrator decide to leave Louise?

10. What is Louise's goal throughout the novel? Has she achieved this goal yet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is choice a theme in the novel? Which characters make important choices? What are the effects of these choices? How does the theme of choice affect the tone of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Is the narrator a moral character? Why or why not? Are the secondary characters moral? Why or why not? How does the narrator justify his or her morality? Why do you think the narrator feels the need to do this?

Essay Topic 3

How does suspicion and mistrust become a theme in the novel? Describe an instance in the novel, and explain why this is significant.

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