Plot Points
Who is Agnes convicted of murdering?
Natan Ketilsson (and Petur, though Natan is primary)
Who is Tóti?
Assistant Reverend Thorvardur Jónsson (Tóti)
What major theme is shown through Agnes’s isolation?
Loneliness / isolation / societal rejection
In what country and century is the novel set?
Iceland, early 19th century (1830s)
“They said I must die.” – Who says this?
Agnes Magnúsdóttir
Where is Agnes sent to await her execution?
To the Jónsson family farm, Kornsá
Name one of the Jónsson family members who hosts Agnes.
Margret, Steina, or Lauga
How does the novel explore the idea of truth?
Through multiple perspectives and conflicting testimonies
What does the harsh winter weather symbolise?
Harshness of fate / emotional desolation
Complete the quote: “I am ______ by these people.”
“I am buried by these people.”
What method of execution is used in Iceland at this time?
Beheading
Who is Sigga, and how is her fate different from Agnes’s?
Sigga (Sigriður) was also convicted but receives a pardon / life sentence instead of execution
Give an example of gender inequality shown in the book.
Agnes is judged more harshly because she’s a woman; men retain control
What is the significance of ravens in the story?
Omens of death / foreboding
Who says, “You are not a monster”?
Reverend Tóti
What role does Reverend Tóti play in Agnes’s final days?
He is assigned as Agnes's spiritual advisor / confessor
Describe Natan Ketilsson in one word and explain your choice.
Answers may vary (e.g. “Manipulative,” “Charismatic,” “Cruel”) with justification
How is religion portrayed in Burial Rites?
Religion is shown as both a tool for judgment and for compassion/redemption.
How does the landscape reflect Agnes’s emotional state?
It is bleak, cold, and unforgiving, mirroring her isolation.
What does Agnes mean when she says, “To know what a person has done, and to know who a person is, are very different things”?
She’s reflecting on judgment vs. identity / people reduce others to their actions.
What happens on the night of Natan’s murder that complicates Agnes’s guilt?
There’s confusion and conflicting accounts involving Sigga and Fridrik
Why does Margret’s attitude toward Agnes change over time?
She begins to see Agnes as human rather than a monster
Explain how fate vs. free will is shown in Agnes’s story.
Agnes struggles between accepting fate and asserting her own narrative.
Why is fire frequently used as a motif?
Fire represents both danger and warmth / destruction and survival
Identify the speaker and significance: “I will not be there to bear witness to my own death.”
Agnes — she is emphasizing the erasure of her identity and lack of agency.