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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. Why did Catherine feel obligated to be kind to the new doctor in Lowfield?

2. What did Catherine call her father's nurse as a child?

3. What is the name of Martin Barnes' daughter?

4. Which of the following does NOT describe Carl Perkins?

5. What was the name of Catherine's mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the atmosphere at work like on Tuesday? When is the newspaper deadline and what mishaps occur to stress the workers of the paper?

2. The reader is introduced to Tom Mascalco in the previous chapter but more is revealed about him in Chapter 6. Describe Tom Mascalco and his relationship with Catherine.

3. From the descriptions in Chapter 1, describe where this novel is taking place.

4. Who does Catherine see on the way to the farm the day she discovers the body? Where does she see this person? How does she feel about telling this to the sheriff?

5. Why does Catherine become suspicious of everyone in town in Chapter 10? What does this tell us about her at this point in the novel?

6. Who is the killer? What is his or her medical diagnosis and why does it lead to murder?

7. Why do Randall and Tom both pay Catherine a visit at her house after she comes home from the sheriff's office on the day she finds the body?

8. How does Catherine feel when she gets home from the sheriff's office in Chapter 4? Why?

9. What was Catherine and Randall's relationship like prior to the incident of Catherine discovering Leona Gaites' body? Why does the relationship head in a different directions afterward?

10. What does Catherine tell Randall that she wants for her parents? What does this say about her part in the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Just as there are main characters interacting with Catherine in the novel, there are a peppering of minor characters that play a role in the novel's development. Discuss the minor characters and their place in the development of the story. Include in your discussion the characters of Betty Eakins, Martin Barnes, Jewel Crenna, Leila Masham and Salton Sims.

Essay Topic 2

This novel is largely told from the point of view of the main character, Catherine Linton. Because of this, we only learn about the other characters in the novel through her eyes. Describe why this is important to consider when thinking about what we know about the other characters in the novel. Do the treatments of the characters by the author mirror the opinions of Catherine Linton of those characters? Provide examples to support your answer. What effect would point of view changes have on the novel itself?

Essay Topic 3

In the beginning of the novel, we meet a depressed and withdrawn Catherine Linton, and the tone of the novel also seems somber and full of imagery related to isolation. However, this mood seems to change as Catherine's character grows and develops through the novel. Can you identify a parallel between the Catherine's mood throughout the novel and the mood of the novel itself? Is this a writing technique of the author used on purpose? What effect does it have on the novel and on the development of the plot? Provide examples.

(see the answer keys)

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