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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 effect does the plague have on the patients in the hospital?

2. Who does Merivel see on the river one morning in 1666?

3. What is the straw resting-place for the doll called?

4. What has happened to Katherine?

5. What religion is the staff at Whittlesea Hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Pearce wonder about flowers?

2. Describe the signs that end up hanging outside Frances Elizabeth's house.

3. What punishment did Finn get for arguing with the King?

4. How does Merivel feel about Pearce?

5. What is Merivel able to do at the funeral that he could not do while Pearce was alive?

6. Describe Edmund's dreams.

7. What does the King advise Merivel to do with his life?

8. What prompts Katherine to try to hang herself?

9. How does Will feel about his master leaving?

10. How does Katherine react to the world outside the hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Knowledge is an important element of the novel. Discuss this element in the novel.

1) Merivel lacks modern knowledge about medicine. How does this affect his actions and his perceptions? How does it affect his ability to help people or control the world around him?

2) The value of the "nightingale" depends on knowledge about the bird. How does lack of knowledge affect the characters' reactions to the bird and their perceptions of value?

3) How does knowledge of other human beings affect their interactions and perceptions of each other in the novel? What knowledge does Merivel lack about the King? What knowledge does Katherine lack about Merivel?

Essay Topic 2

Power is a defining element in relationships in the novel. Discuss power in the novel.

1) What gives characters power over others in the novel?

2) What gives the King power, and what are the limits of the King's power? How does the King use his power?

3) What kind of power does Merivel have as a doctor and as an associate of the King in the novel? How does he use this power?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the novel's treatment of women.

1) How does the novel portray women? What role do women hold in the society, and how does their societal role affect their behavior and personalities?

2) How do the male characters perceive and react to women? What do the male characters think of women, and how do they treat women?

3) How does the author perceive women? How can you distinguish between the characters' perceptions and the author's perception?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 655 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample