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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 Charles threaten to do in Chapter 7 which causes Merricat run away?

2. To what does Merricat liken Charles's scream in Chapter 8?

3. Who killed the Blackwood family?

4. What does Julian say happened to Merricat at the orphanage?

5. What do the village children grab during the mayhem in Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the girls decide to do in honor of Uncle Julian in Chapter 9?

2. Faced with a ruined home, what do Constance and Merricat decide to do?

3. In Chapter 9, what does Merricat see and hear in the night from her hiding spot?

4. What does Charles say he wants to go through in Chapter 6? How does Julian react?

5. What state is the kitchen in when the girls return home?

6. In Chapter 7, what does Merricat decide to do on Thursday? What is special about Thursdays?

7. What does Merricat do when she peeks in at Charles's room in Chapter 8?

8. What does Merricat imagine at the end of Chapter 7?

9. What does Merricat notice is different when she returns home in Chapter 8?

10. What do Constance and Merricat hear a woman tell some children in the Blackwood's yard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and interpret the character Constance. What are her defining character traits? What is her role in the story? How is she related to the protagonist? Is she an important character?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Jackson's use of foreshadowing. What are some examples of foreshadowing in the novel? Why does Jackson use foreshadowing?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and interpret the information given about the murders? How might they have taken place and why? In what manner does Jackson share the information about the murders? Is the identity of the murderer a surprise?

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