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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. How does Katherine react after Stoner tells her he could lose his job by being with her?

2. Who tells Stoner that he should be the one insulted by Charles Walker's presentation in Chapter IX?

3. What does Stoner find unfavorable at work after Lomax takes over the English department?

4. What subject does Stoner begin teaching radically and causing complaints from students?

5. How does Stoner describe his relationship with Edith after beginning an affair with Katherine?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lomax aid Charles Walker during his oral examinations?

2. Describe William's actions after Katherine drops off her dissertation for him to read.

3. How is William able to get his preferred class schedule back from Lomax in Chapter XIV?

4. How does Lomax react after William refuses to pass Charles Walker?

5. How does Edith's social life change after her father's death?

6. How does William react when Finch suggests he pass Walker because he could lose his job?

7. What is the nature of William's conversation with Lomax when he tries to mend their relationship over the Charles Walker situation?

8. How is William and Katherine's week away in the Ozarks described?

9. How does William react to Katherine Driscoll's presentation in his seminar?

10. How does Edith cause Grace to not be able to spend time with William as a child?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's portrayal of marriage in the book. What does William wish to get out of being married despite showing little passion for anything besides his education? Does he feel it's just a duty he must fulfill to fit in or does he truly find love in Edith?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the concept of introversion that is portrayed in the book. What is the author saying about the nature of being introverted based on his portrayal of William and Sloane in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's portrayal of the father-daughter relationship in the book, namely through the characters of Edith and her father. What impact did Edith's relationship with her father have on her erratic behavior later in life, especially towards her husband William?

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