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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. In Chapter 2 of Volume 8, to what does Tristram equate with love?

2. What reaction does Trim have to Bobby's death?

3. Why does Tristram relieve himself out the window in Volume 5?

4. What does Walter Shandy decide to write in Volume 5?

5. What does Trim inherit from Lieutenant Le Fever?

Short Essay Questions

1. What could Bobby's death symbolize to Tristram?

2. How is Tristram injured at the age of five?

3. How does Toby become Billy Le Fever's guardian?

4. What difficulty does Tristram encounter in Lyon?

5. Who is Lieutenant Le Fever?

6. What irony exists in Walter Shandy's attempt to write a child-rearing book?

7. How does Toby discover his love for Widow Wadham?

8. Why does Walter Shandy write Toby a letter in Volume 8?

9. How does Toby react to the end of the war?

10. How does the Shandy household react to the news of Bobby's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What impact does superficial and self-serving behavior have on the characters in the novel? Do any of the characters demonstrate growth or emotional development? What point might Sterne be making about human behavior?

Essay Topic 2

Of what importance is Tristram's name in the novel? What significance does Walter Shandy place on names and why does Tristram's name disturb him? Why does Diduis refuse to change Tristram's name?

Essay Topic 3

How does Sterne describe the roles of men and women in the novel? How does the 18th century perception of women and their roles in society affect their action and dialogue? How do the perceptions of his father and uncle affect Tristram's perception of women?

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