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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 does Philip think women perpetually think about?

2. What does Philip do while he sits listening to Rachel talk about visitors just to see if it will bother her?

3. What does Philip think happened to the money from Rachel's first marriage?

4. How does Philip say that widows support themselves, aside from remarrying?

5. What does a letter from Ambrose reveal about Rachel?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rachel do that makes Philip tease her that she will become a midwife?

2. What made the relationship between Philip and Nick Kendall "cool" after Christmas?

3. Why is Philip so disconcerted by Rachel's tears when they argue about her allowance?

4. What makes Philip start commenting on the improvement in the foods that are served by his cook?

5. Why does Seecombe set the table with the good silver and other finery when Rainaldi comes to visit?

6. Why did Ambrose not punish Philip for bringing mice to church with him when he was a boy?

7. What does Philip find in his room after going to Pelyn to arrange for Rachel's allowance, and why does it delight him?

8. After the Sunday dinner guests leave, what does Rachel say she likes about entertaining?

9. Why does Philip think he can keep his name out of the business of giving Rachel an allowance?

10. Nick Kendall tells Philip that people he knows were horrified to learn that Ambrose was marrying Rachel. Why were they horrified?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay discussing how the author explores the nature of good and evil using Rachel and Philip. How does the author make readers doubt Rachel’s intentions? In the end, which characters were good and which were evil?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, Philip’s moods and attitudes toward people and places change based on what is going on in his life. Explain how the author conveys his feelings through descriptions of settings and events as well as through her word choices.

Essay Topic 3

Money, or the lack of it, changes the way that people think and act. The author shows this through both Philip and Rachel. Write an essay explaining how money affects the lives of both characters and examining how the author uses the characters to support this idea.

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