Where the Dark Stands Still - Literary Analysis Quiz (Chapters 7-12)

Chapter 7: Scars and Duty

1. Liska sees the Leszy's many old scars and thinks of them as "the map of a story she doubts he has ever told." What is the main effect of this metaphor?

To show Liska's sudden interest in map-making and geography. To emphasize that the Leszy's body is a record of a long and painful past. To suggest that the scars form a literal map to a hidden treasure within the Driada. To prove that the Leszy is a bad fighter who gets injured often.

2. When Liska and the Leszy argue, their eyes are described as "periwinkle to pine, sky to woodland dark." What is the purpose of this imagery?

It shows their shared love for nature and different types of trees. It uses personification to give the sky and woodland feelings. It highlights their opposite feelings and natures. It literally describes the changing colours of the forest around them during their argument.

3. The Leszy tells Liska, "Warden is one word. Jailer is another." What does this juxtaposition reveal about his character?

It reveals his deep internal conflict about what he is doing. It proves he is lying and is actually just a jailer, not a protective warden. It shows he is confused about his job title and what his responsibilities are. It suggests he wants a promotion from jailer to warden.

Chapter 8: House-Spirits

1. Liska describes the Leszy's appearance as having "a treacherous beauty, a rusałka’s beauty—enthralling and deceitful, good for nothing but tragedy." What does this allusion to a *rusałka* achieve?

It implies the Leszy is literally related to water spirits and can swim very well. It shows that Liska thinks his beauty is a safe and trustworthy quality. It suggests that his attractiveness is profoundly dangerous. It reveals Liska's jealousy of how attractive the Leszy is compared to her.

2. The mysteries surrounding the manor's past are described as a "mystery clouding the manor like a gathering storm." What is the primary effect of this simile?

It creates a calm and relaxing mood, like watching clouds. It literally predicts that a thunderstorm is about to hit the manor. It creates an atmosphere of suspense and foreboding, suggesting that the secrets are an active and growing threat. It shows that the manor is often misty and difficult to see clearly.

3. Liska offers a drop of her own blood to the manor to make the library door appear. What does this act symbolise?

A common way to unlock doors in her home village of Stodoła. A deep, personal sacrifice that forms a magical bond. Her clumsiness, as she accidentally cut her finger while trying to open the door. An attempt to poison the manor's soul and make it weaker.

Chapter 9: The Manor With a Soul

1. Jaga states that the hidden library is not a physical place, but a "memory" the Leszy "put to sleep." What does this metaphorical description reveal about magic in this world?

That powerful magic can manipulate even thoughts and consciousness. That the Leszy is very forgetful and needs to write everything down. That the library is just an illusion and doesn't actually exist. That anyone who enters the library will immediately fall asleep.

2. Liska experiences the name "Florian" as a taste, thinking "The name tastes sorrowful, like lost love and broken hearts." What is the effect of this use of synesthesia (blending senses)?

It shows Liska is hungry and thinking about food. It literally means the name was written on something edible. It emphasizes the powerful, physical impact of the discovery. It suggests Liska's magical powers lets her taste words.

3. Jaga receives a flash of memory from touching the letter. What does this plot device allow the author to do?

Reveal crucial information about the Leszy's past and his emotional state, building mystery around Florian's fate. Prove that Jaga is an unreliable narrator who makes things up. Show that the letter is cursed and harms anyone who touches it. Distract Liska from her main goal of finding the fern flower.

Chapter 10: The Girl Who Cried Hound

1. Liska sarcastically plans to use her "feminine wiles" to lure the Leszy out, but then just screams for help. What is the effect of this contrast?

It shows her lack of confidence and that she is a poor strategist. It creates a moment of humor. It proves that the Leszy can only be fooled by loud noises, not by clever tricks. It demonstrates that Liska is a weak and helpless character.

2. After the Leszy reinforces the wards, the narrative says Liska "can tell from the watchful light in his eyes that he is making sure she did, in fact, imagine the hound." What does this insight suggest about the Leszy?

He is angry at Liska for wasting his time with a fake story. He doesn't believe in ghosts and thinks Liska is being superstitious. He is not truly convinced the hound was imaginary and is worried. He has poor eyesight and is trying to see better in the dark.

3. The chapter ends with the Leszy discovering Jaga's presence and summoning Liska to help with a body. How does this ending create suspense?

By introducing a new, immediate danger. By showing that the Leszy is forgiving and doesn't care that Liska lied to him. By having the Leszy and Jaga become best friends immediately. By revealing that the body is Florian's, solving the central mystery.

Chapter 11: Doors to the Dead

1. The corpse's location is described using the metaphor: "the dead villager a convict leaning against bars," with the tree roots as the bars. What is the effect of this language?

It suggests the man was a criminal in life and deserved his fate. It creates a powerful image of the man being a prisoner of his violent death. It shows that the tree's roots are very strong, like iron bars. It implies the man was hiding from a real prison and was caught.

2. The Leszy confesses that without him, the "human lands would have been flooded by demons long ago." How does this confession change his character in Liska's eyes?

It confirms he is an arrogant demon who thinks he is all-powerful. It proves he is responsible for creating the demons in the first place. It makes him seem more dangerous and untrustworthy than before. It suggests that he is not just evil, but a protector of sorts.

3. After the reanimated corpse is destroyed, Liska and the Leszy have a moment of intense connection before she jerks away. What does this moment primarily reveal?

That Liska is afraid of the Leszy and wants to get away from him. The growing romantic and emotional tension between them. That the Leszy used a magic spell to briefly control Liska's feelings. That Liska is still too shocked from the fight to think clearly.

Chapter 12: Return of the Red-Eyed Hound

1. The Leszy says, "the not-so-clever fox becomes an even-less-clever rabbit" during Liska's training. What is the purpose of this shift in metaphor?

To show that the Leszy is bad at identifying animals. To playfully insult Liska by suggesting she is less intelligent than a rabbit. To suggest her current state of vulnerability. To hint that Liska has the power to shapeshift into different animals.

2. Liska names her new dagger "Onegdaj," a Polish word for "in the past" or "once upon a time." Why is this name significant?

Because the dagger is very old and from a time long past. It's a random word she chose because it sounded pretty. It symbolises her connection to a past she wants to return to. It's the name of the *czarownik* blacksmith who made the dagger.

3. At the end of the chapter, Liska realizes the hound is trying to communicate with her, not harm her, and that the manor might be "letting him in." What is the effect of this realisation?