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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Amy have to force Ted to do?

2. What does Amy write to William?

3. What mystifies the young William about Rosie after he hears her history?

4. What is Ted considered at age 80?

5. What do some at the tea party believe of Dickens?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does William initially meet Rosie?

2. Describe William Ashenden.

3. What does Amy Driffield ask of William?

4. Describe William's memory of the last time he saw Ted.

5. Briefly describe William's interaction with Ted and Rosie when he is a youth.

6. What happens when William comes home for Easter Break and what surprising announcement does the Vicar make?

7. What happens when William finds Rosie at tea one evening and then after Rosie walks out the door?

8. Describe Mrs. Greencourt's tea party, particularly the conversation about the Driffields and literature.

9. What does William say when asked about Edward Driffield and what do they debate?

10. What does William learn from Mary-Ann?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Titles often reveal much about one or more aspects of a novel. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think is the purpose of a title? How closely related to a major theme(s) of a book do you think a title should be? Or should it be?

2. The phrase "Cakes and Ale" appears in both Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Aesop's Fable The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Research these two references and discuss the connection they may have to Maugham's book.

3. If you were the writer of Cake and Ale and your editor says the title must be changed, what would you choose? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Encombe is Blackstable's first liberated New Woman--she wears her hair short and her skirt barely covers the top of her boots. People are intimidated by her intellect and joke nervously about her. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze how women are viewed in Cakes and Ale. Does it seem a woman is either a saint or whore? Is this the view of the author or the culture? Or both?

2. Why do you think Rosie is treated sympathetically in Cakes and Ale by the narrator?

3. How does Ted treat Rosie? Does he respect her? Does he care that she violates social convention?

4. Why is Mrs. Encombe viewed askance? Would she be looked at the same way today?

Essay Topic 3

Mrs. Greencourt holds a tea party attended by Mrs. Encombe, Blackstable's first "New Woman." She leads the discussion of novels that the Vicar advocates burning but some of the ladies admit enjoying. The group concludes that literature ought not deal with the vicious aspects of society. Discuss the following:

1. Describe and analyze the discussions at the tea party at Mrs. Greencourt. What is said about literature? Do you agree? Why do you think the participants say this? Do you think they agree or are afraid to be branded as coarse themselves?

2. Many of the ladies admit enjoying some of the novels that the Vicar advocates burning. Research and discuss how novels are evaluated in the mid to late Victorian era. How has the attitude towards novels changed today?

3. Discuss the idea that literature ought not deal with the vicious aspects of society. Do you agree? Why or why not? Do you think the literature of today has gone too far as to what novels will include? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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