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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 nickname does Bjartur call Ingolfur by?

2. Who is Helgi worried about coming to Summerhouse in Section 3?

3. Why does Asta not accept Gvendur's gift in Section 4?

4. What big business is passed into the hands of Ingolfur Arnarson?

5. Why do many people come to Summer house in Section 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bjartur say to Gvendur when Gvendur tells him he is leaving for America in Section 4?

2. Where does Asta go at the end of Section 3?

3. Why does Asta Sollilja come home early from Rauthsmyri in Section 3?

4. What happens between Asta and the teacher in Section 3?

5. What does Einar of Undirhlith say about kings in Section 4?

6. What big news is revealed about Asta Sollilja in Section 3?

7. What do Bjartur and Asta Sollilja talk about in "The Right Cheek" in Section 3?

8. What impact does the "ghost" of Summerhouse have on the parish in Section 3?

9. How do Bjartur's feelings about his new house change over the course of the novel?

10. What does Bjartur do in retaliation for his sheep being killed in Section 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Select one of the many songs or poems in the novel and analyze its meaning.

Essay Topic 2

On page 32-33, Bjartur says to his new wife, "Independence is the most important thing in life." Why is Bjartur so focused on independence? What does independence mean to him throughout the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Is the ending happy? Use evidence from the text to justify your response.

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This section contains 960 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample