View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. George refuses to get a lawyer and wants to defend himself because ___________.

2. Lady Dedlock finally reveals to Esther that ___________.

3. George is thought to have ___________.

4. Tulkinghorn, who vows to reveal Lady Dedlock's secret, is ___________.

5. Esther is afraid that Miss Barbary rejected Boythorn because ___________.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the use of flowers in Bleak House. Dickens employs flowers several times in very specific, symbolic ways. Examine the symbolism and determine if there is a common thread in the instances where flowers appear.

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 48 of Bleak House, Dickens refers to "upstart gas" that has begun to light the streets of London. Research the use of gas for public lighting and the replacement of whale oil. When did the change take place, and why? How did the two qualities of lighting compare. Was it truly a progressive change?

Essay Topic 3

The gap between the rich and poor seems extremely wide in Bleak House. Write an essay, using the story and its characters, that compares and contrasts the poorest with the wealthiest. Also, try to determine where Dickens' sympathy lay when he wrote Bleak House.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 284 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample