View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who comes to take Madelyne downstairs for her first meal after her fever?

2. Why does Silenus not move during the battle?

3. Duncan commands that Adela be escorted to dinner each night by whom?

4. Why does Madelyne name Duncan's horse Silenus?

5. What is Madelyne wearing when she wakes up?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Madelyne's reaction to killing a man during the battle?

2. Which other men does Duncan notice are attracted to Madelyne?

3. How does the author establish Madelyne as a good person in Chapter One?

4. Duncan takes a nightly swim in the very cold water of the lake. What are his reasons, new and old?

5. Why does Louddon decide to go after Duncan once he discovers the destruction at the castle?

6. Why does Duncan lie to Madelyne about how much time he spends with her while she is sick with fever?

7. Why does Duncan believe that Madelyne has a temper and a passionate nature?

8. What is meant by Louddon having a choice between greed and lust when it comes to Madelyne?

9. Who or what are some of the people or beings who appear in Madelyne's dreams while she is sick with fever?

10. As Madelyne is planning her escape from Duncan, what obstacles does she think she needs to overcome?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Madelyne hesitates over saying, "I do" when she is forced to marry Duncan. Gilard takes a step forward and Madelyne quickly says her vows in an effort to prevent the brothers from fighting. Madelyne has a tendency to sacrifice herself in an effort to protect other people. Discuss all the ways in which Madelyne sacrifices herself or her best interest since the beginning of the novel. Are these sacrifices worthwhile, self-serving, manipulative, all for naught, or neutral? Why? How does Madelyne view these sacrifices? How do other people react to Madelyne's sacrifices? How do these sacrifices shape other characters' view of Madelyne? Provide examples from the book to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What does the author tell us about Morcar? What is his effect on the other characters in the novel, especially Adela, Madelyne, Duncan and Gerald? What does Duncan learn from Gerald's fight with Morcar on the battlefield? Why is Morcar in the novel? What part does he play in the romantic relationships in the novel, and in particular, the relationship between Madelyne and Duncan? What, if anything, does the author tell the reader about the consequences of evil deeds? Pick three ways that the author uses the character of Morcar to advance some aspect of the story. Provide examples from the novel to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

One of the major themes in some romance novels is that of trust in a romantic relationship. Is it true that when the man in a relationship is trustworthy, the relationship results in a happy marriage, but when the man is not trustworthy the woman is betrayed? Pick two couples and compare and contrast the trust level and outcome in their relationships. Use examples from the novel to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,252 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample