House of Roots and Ruin Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes
House of Roots and Ruin Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes
Test your knowledge of Erin A. Craig's gothic sequel with this 20-question quiz. Questions are grouped into four sections: plot and sequence, character motivation, theme and symbol, and synthesis. Each question is either multiple choice or short answer. The complete answer key with explanations follows the quiz.
Plot and Sequence Questions
1. What event directly prompts Verity to leave Highmoor for Bloem?
A. A letter from her sister Mercy inviting her to the capital B. A commission from Dauphine Laurent to paint a portrait of Alexander C. A family argument with Camille about her ghost sightings D. A summons from the Duke of Bloem to document his greenhouse
2. What does Verity learn about her nursemaid Hanna in Chapter 6?
A. Hanna has been secretly working for Camille B. Hanna is a ghost who died in the Highmoor fire twelve years earlier C. Hanna is actually a Laurent spy D. Hanna has been ill and needs to leave the island
3. What does Verity initially believe causes the nightly screams at Chauntilalie?
A. The ghost of Constance B. The white peacocks C. Wind through the greenhouse D. Gerard's experiments in the nursery
4. What does Verity discover hidden behind the false bookshelf in Gerard's study?
A. A collection of love letters from Dauphine B. Jars containing preserved, deformed infant specimens C. A map to Marchioly House D. The missing keys to the estate
5. Who kills Gerard Laurent?
A. Viktor, using his fire power B. Julien, slamming his head against the desk C. Verity, with a letter opener D. Alex, in self-defense
6. What happens to Marguerite Laurent during the final confrontation?
A. She escapes to Marchioly House B. She is killed by Camille with a poker C. She dies from poison in the wine D. She is arrested by the authorities
7. What is the fate of Viktor and Julien by the end of the novel?
A. Both survive and claim the dukedom B. Julien is killed by Viktor, and Viktor falls from the balcony C. They are exiled to the northern estate D. They are imprisoned in the crypt
8. What does Verity see in the hidden nursery that reveals the truth about Gerard's experiments?
A. Three cribs holding infants with plant-like deformities B. A collection of poisonous plants in glass cases C. Portraits of the golden women D. A shrine to Arina with burning candles
Character Motivation Questions
9. Why does Camille refuse to allow Verity to travel to Bloem?
A. She fears Verity's ghost-seeing will be exposed and ruin the family's reputation B. She cannot spare Verity from her duties at Highmoor C. She believes the Laurents are dangerous D. She wants Verity to marry a local suitor instead
10. What is Gerard Laurent's true purpose in bringing Verity to Chauntilalie?
A. To have her paint a portrait of Alexander B. To breed a new line of gifted heirs with Alexander C. To use her artistic talent to document his flowers D. To have her testify against his brothers
11. Why does Dauphine poison the women Gerard impregnates?
A. Out of jealousy over his affairs B. To prevent the birth of his monstrous, god-like babies C. To inherit their wealth D. To punish Gerard for his cruelty
12. Why do Viktor and Julien return to Chauntilalie?
A. To reconcile with their father B. To claim their birthright as heirs to the dukedom C. To warn Alex about Gerard's plans D. To retrieve their mother's belongings
13. Why does Verity decide to stay at Chauntilalie after learning the truth about Gerard?
A. She wants to marry Alex and live a comfortable life B. She is determined to stop Gerard and protect Alex C. She fears returning to Highmoor D. She hopes to become the new duchess
Theme and Symbol Questions
14. What does the alyssum flower symbolize in the novel?
A. Tenacity and endurance B. A worth beyond beauty C. Deception and poison D. Eternal love
15. What do the white peacocks represent in the story?
A. The beauty of nature B. Selective breeding and aesthetic control C. The ghosts of the Laurent family D. The coming storm
16. What is the significance of the number three throughout the novel?
A. It represents the Holy Trinity B. It is Gerard's rule for growing specimens and his obsession with triplets C. It symbolizes the three sisters of Highmoor D. It is the number of days Verity spends at Chauntilalie
17. What does the hawthorn tree carving across from Gerard's study symbolize?
A. Danger and warning B. Protection and concealment C. Fertility and growth D. Death and decay
Synthesis Questions
18. How does Verity's ability to see ghosts shape her relationships with her family and with the Laurents? (Short answer)
19. Compare the Thaumas family's "curse" with Gerard Laurent's experiments. What do both reveal about how the families treat those they consider different? (Short answer)
20. Flowers and floriography appear throughout the novel. Choose one flower (e.g., alyssum, oleander, dittany) and explain how its meaning connects to a character or plot event. (Short answer)
Answer Key
1. B. Dauphine Laurent commissions Verity to paint a portrait of her son Alexander for his twentieth birthday, which gives Verity a reason to leave Highmoor (Chapter 2).
2. B. Hanna admits she has been dead for twelve years, since the night of the Highmoor fire, and that Verity forgot her death after leaving for Hesperus (Chapter 6).
3. B. Alex explains that the screeching comes from his mother's leucistic white peacocks, which wail during full moons (Chapter 15). Verity later learns the truth, but this is her initial belief.
4. B. In Gerard's study, Verity finds a false bookshelf hiding jars of preserved, deformed infant specimens, evidence of his experiments (Chapter 36).
5. B. Julien slams Gerard's head against the desk, killing him, at Viktor's command (Chapter 46).
6. B. Camille arrives during the attack and kills Marguerite with a poker (Chapter 48).
7. B. Julien is killed by Viktor, and Viktor falls from the balcony; both die (Chapter 48).
8. A. Verity discovers a nursery with three cribs holding infants with green fuzz, tendrils, and a stump arm that unfurls like a fern (Chapter 31).
9. A. Camille warns that if Verity leaves, her ghost-seeing behavior would lead to institutionalization and ruin the family's reputation (Chapter 5).
10. B. Viktor and Julien reveal that Gerard brought Verity to Chauntilalie to breed a new line of gifted heirs with Alexander (Chapter 33).
11. B. Dauphine confesses she poisoned the golden women to prevent Gerard's babies from being born, trying to stop his experiments (Chapter 43).
12. B. Julien and Viktor return to prove they are Gerard's sons and claim the inheritance, with Julien as the eldest and rightful heir (Chapter 33).
13. B. After learning the truth, Verity resolves to stay, seek the truth, and fight to stop Gerard, reaffirming her desire to marry Alex (Chapter 41).
14. B. Alexander chooses alyssum for his crest, meaning "a worth beyond beauty," which displeases his father (Chapter 10).
15. B. The Laurents bred the peacocks for their white color and culled pied birds, reflecting their obsession with aesthetic control (Chapter 15).
16. B. Gerard always grows three specimens, keeps three sets of keys, and has triplet sons; the number three recurs as a motif of his control and experiments.
17. B. The hawthorn, with its sharp spikes, is a protective plant; Verity discovers a hidden compartment at its base containing the silver key to Gerard's study (Chapter 35).
18. Sample answer: Verity's ghost sight isolates her from her family, who fear it will bring scandal, and leads Camille to try to control her. At Chauntilalie, it allows her to uncover the truth about Constance and Gerard's crimes, but also makes her question her sanity. Her ability ultimately becomes a tool for justice, though it costs her trust in others.
19. Sample answer: The Thaumas family treats Verity's gift as a curse to be hidden, while Gerard treats the women he experiments on as vessels for his ambition. Both families exploit or suppress those who are different—Verity is confined, and the golden women are used and discarded. The comparison shows how fear and obsession can dehumanize people.
20. Sample answer: Oleander means distrust and warning. Verity uses oleander blooms to open the hidden panel that leads to Constance's murder scene, and the flower's meaning foreshadows the betrayal she uncovers. It also reflects the theme that appearances can be deceiving, as the beautiful manor hides horrors.
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