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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 did people think fiction should do, according to Henry James?

2. What quality does a premise have to have in order to be suitable for a novel, in James' opinion?

3. What does the main character plan to do, when she is disappointed by Captain Everard?

4. Where does May Bartram think she has met John Marcher before?

5. What does Dencombe realize as he dies?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where do John Marcher and May Bartram meet in 'The Beast in the Jungle'?

2. What does Marcher realize when May Bartram dies?

3. How does Spencer Brydon react to the changes that took place in New York over the last 33 years?

4. What is the irony in the secret Marcher has been keeping all these years?

5. What is the telegraph operator's fiancée asking her to do?

6. Describe Spencer Brydon's encounter with his alter ego.

7. What is the significance of the setting in 'The Middle Years'?

8. What happens to bring May Bartram and John Marcher into closer friendship?

9. What is the significance of the title of this story?

10. What rules does James lay out for writing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In 'The Real Thing' and other stories, James uses irony to evoke strong emotions and even feelings of surprise in the reader. Describe two different uses of irony in James' stories. Analyze the emotions created in the reader by the stories.

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of women in James' stories? How are they distinguished from men? Are their roles distinct, or is there much overlap or ambiguity? What is the purpose or use of this interrelation?

Essay Topic 3

Write a character sketch of the author based on his style and content. What values does he hold dear? What are his hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think he is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.

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This section contains 844 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample