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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 is the name of the principal at St. Angela's school?

2. Who places a phone call to Tess in Chapter 13?

3. What does Cecilia do with the letter while John-Paul is out of the room attending to one of their daughters?

4. What emotion does Tess's uncle admit to feeling about his daughter Felicity?

5. How does Rachel feel about being accompanied by Lauren and Rob on the anniversary of Janie's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information about their father John-Paul do Cecilia's daughters share with her before she opens the letter?

2. What event finally prompts Cecilia to read the mysterious letter?

3. When Cecilia comes to believe that she is having a nervous breakdown over John-Paul's news, what is her reaction to the realization and why?

4. What history do Tess and Connor have together?

5. What is the symbolism of the name of the advertising agency called TWF?

6. What does the glass candle symbolize within the narrative?

7. For what object had Cecilia been searching prior to the novel's opening?

8. What themes are introduced by the epigraph Moriarty includes at the beginning of The Husband's Secret?

9. Describe the qualities of the mysterious letter that acts as John-Paul's confession to Janie's murder.

10. Who is the only person besides Rachel who knows about her tardiness to her meeting with Janie on the day of Janie's murder?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In what ways does The Husband's Secret portray the theme of family bonds and to which of the novel's messages does the theme connect?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Moriarty’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of The Husband's Secret.

Essay Topic 3

Write a critical essay about The Husband's Secret while using the critical power theory lens of feminist theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the novel's treatment of gender roles, the objectification of women, female empowerment, misogyny's role within society, or any other issues related to feminist theory that can be found in the novel.

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