View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happiness does Bess have in her life now?

2. Who is the only other person who sees the love between Bess and Will?

3. What does Will discover when he visits Watertown?

4. What does Jack tell Bess about Robert Feakes?

5. What happens with the delivery of a letter from the Dutch Director-General?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the underlying reasons for the witchcraft hysteria running rampant in the colony?

2. Under what conditions is Bess' divorce from Robert granted?

3. What surprising statement does the harsh John Winthrop make just prior to his death?

4. What happens when the new governor refuses to marry Will and Bess?

5. Where do Will, Bess and the children settle into a new home?

6. How does Bess disrupt Thomas' attempt to take her land away from her in the name of Robert Feake?

7. What would make the villagers accuse Bess of being a witch?

8. How does the claims by other countries affect Bess personally?

9. How does Telaka prove her loyalty to Bess in Chapter 16?

10. What is the final symbolic representation of Bess' marriage to Robert?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Telaka exhibit such loyalty toward Bess? Telaka had several reasons for betraying Bess and her family yet she does not. Explain her motives. Do you find it ironic that the "savage" Telaka exhibits more kindness and loyalty to Bess than does her own uncle, "the civilized" John Winthrop? Explain why Bess finds her ultimate peace and serenity in the company of Telaka and not from any sermon of John Winthrop's.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the irony of Bess' boredom being married to a lively character like Harry Winthrop. How has the original excitement about Harry diminished? Does Harry even know how to be a good husband based on the father whose example he has had? Could the marriage between Bess and Harry be saved? What would it take to fix it?

Essay Topic 3

What is the purpose of the Robert Feake character in the novel? Why does the author introduce him shortly after Bess' marriage to Harry? Discuss the literary device of foreshadowing and whether Feake's appearance can be classified as foreshadowing or just an accident in the plot. Why does the author craft the story so that Bess will be anchored to the insane Feakes later on in the story? What does Feakes represent in Bess' life each time he appears?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,025 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample