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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 Constance bake in Chapter 6?

2. Where does Merricat go when Charles leaves for the village?

3. In Chapter 9, what do the girls find lying just inside the drawing room door?

4. What does Charles do while the house is on fire?

5. What does Constance bake in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Constance apologize to Merricat about at the end of Chapter 9?

2. How do the villagers act while the Blackwoods' house is burning? What does Charles do while the house is burning?

3. How does Charles show his greediness in Chapter 6?

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

5. How do the villagers show kindness in Chapter 10?

6. In Chapter 6, how does Merricat describe the way Charles has taken over her house?

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

8. What mistakes does Constance say she has made in Chapter 6?

9. In Chapter 6, what does Charles say when Merricat asks him to go away?

10. In Chapter 10, what does Merricat build to protect her and her sister? What item is brought from the house to add to it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the conclusion of the novel. Are there any surprises at the end? Are there any unanswered questions? Did you enjoy the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and interpret Jackson's use of ambiguity. What are some examples of ambiguity in the novel? What might the meaning be behind these examples of ambiguity?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the motif of fear in "We Have Always Lived in the Castle." What are some examples of fear in the novel? What is Merricat fearful of and why? What are other characters fearful of and why?

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