Lit and Comp II: The Possibility of Evil- Quiz Study Cards

In which point of view is this story told?

3rd person limited

How old is Miss Strangeworth?

71

translucent

Allowing light to pass through

What does Miss Strangeworth's letter to Mrs. Harper imply?

That Mrs. Harper's husband may be cheating on her.

Regarding her baby, what has Helen Crane been worrying about? Does Miss Stangeworth think she should worry about this?

That her baby is developing slowly because she isn't moving around much. No, she doesn't.

Why does Miss Stangeworth time her walk so that she reaches the post office "just as darkness was starting to dim the outline of the trees and the shapes of the people's aces"?

So people won't be able to tell that she is the one mailing the letters.

What is the climax on "The possibility of Evil"?

As Miss Strangeworth is mailing her letters, she accidentally drops one on the ground.

Why doesn't Miss Strangeworth notice that her third letter catches the edge of the mailbox and falls onto the ground?

Because she is too busy wondering whether or not to send another letter to Dave Harris's father.

Why doesn't Miss Strangeworth receive any answers to her letters?

Because she never signs her name on them.

rapt

Entranced or giving total attention to; captivated.

infatuated

Intensely fond or filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire.

As Miss Strangeworth is mailing her letters, whose voice does she hear?

Linda Stewart's

What is the main conflict of "The Possibility of Evil"?

Man vs. Man

What is Miss Stangeworth doing with the letters she writes?

She is mailing them.

According to the narrator, what happened to Linda Stewart yesterday? What did the townspeople conclude was the reason behind this?

She ran crying all the way to school. There was trouble at home.

According to the narrator, how would Miss Stangeworth feel about signing her name on he letters?

She would feel as though a name as honored as hers did not belong on such trash.

Who wrote "The Possibility of Evil"?

Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson established her reputation as a writer with which of her short stories?

The Lottery

What does the letter that Miss Stangeworth receives the next morning say? From the comments of this letter, what can the reader infer has happened?

The letter read, "LOOK OUT AT WHAT USED TO BE YOUR ROSES!" That the townspeople figured out it was her sending the letters and took revenge on her.

degraded

corrupted, depraved

reprehensible

deserving blame or punishment