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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 what way does Laura think she is similar to Virginia Woolf?

2. How many planes does Virginia see above her?

3. Her memories of 'taking the Host' show us what about Laura?

4. What is the meaning of the word 'obfuscation'?

5. When did Vanessa last visit?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the literary prize that Richard has been awarded?

2. What is significant about Oliver St. Ives?

3. For what reasons has Virginia Woolf decided to end her life?

4. What impression of Leonard Woolf is given in this chapter?

5. What is Virginia's attitude toward Vanessa's children?

6. What is unusual about the headache Virginia suffers?

7. Why did Virginia not engage more with Nelly over the matter of the day's menu?

8. What sets a favorable writing mindset for Virginia Woolf in this chapter?

9. Why does Virginia wish to avoid Nelly on this particular morning?

10. Explain what is meant by the comment that Laura Brown is 'trying to keep herself'.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the novel The Hours have to say to us about human love and human frailty? Express your ideas with close reference to the text.

Essay Topic 2

Much of the novel, The Hours, deals with characters' views of themselves and their fears concerning failure. Are these people actually successful, and in which ways or spheres of endeavor?

Essay Topic 3

There are numerous interpersonal tensions running through all sections of Michael Cunningham's The Hours. Discuss two of these interpersonal tensions. Are they resolved during the novel? How do they affect the characters who are involved? How are these tensions associated with the themes and/or symbols that are important in the novel?

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