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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. About what does Mrs. Beaver brag?

2. What does Brenda say in a note to Tony?

3. What kind of hints does Brenda make to Marjorie?

4. Who entertains John while Tony is out of the house?

5. How do others feel about John at the party?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does it seem that Brenda has absolutely no concern for Tony nor for her own reputation?

2. How does it seem the women and men of the upper social class are portrayed in this chapter?

3. How is it that John Andrew gets caught in the middle of the problems between his parents?

4. What sort of "struggle" seems to be going on between Brenda and John Beaver?

5. What is likely foreshadowed at the beginning of this chapter?

6. How does it seem Mrs. Beaver is manipulating something between Brenda and John Beaver?

7. What demonstrates Tony's inadvertent complicity in Brenda's new life and affair with another man?

8. Why is Beaver annoyed at Polly's party, but why does he put up with his annoyance?

9. What do you think is a theme that is introduced in this first chapter?

10. What happens in this chapter that indicates Brenda's lack of devotion as a mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A HANDFUL OF DUST takes its title from a T.S. Eliot poem titled "The Wasteland." Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Discuss the similar themes that are jointly present in "The Wasteland" and A Handful of Dust.

2. Compare and contrast the use of a poem versus a novel to express similar ideas.

3. Discuss why both Eliot and Waugh, who wrote in the same era, would be interested in the same social themes.

Essay Topic 2

There are a number of themes in this story, one of which has already been discussed. Discuss one of the following:

1. Choose two major themes (other than that of class) and analyze them and discuss examples of where that theme appears in the text.

2. Compare and contrast two major themes in the novel to those themes found in other texts/movies with which you are familiar.

3. Other than class, which theme do you think is the major theme of the book? Discuss why and give example

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 2, "English Gothic: Part One," the rooms of Hetton Abbey are named after characters in the story of King Arthur. Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Discuss fully the legend of King Arthur.

2. Discuss how the legend of King Arthur and A Handful of Dust are similar and why.

3. Discuss how A Handful of Dust and the legend of King Arthur are different and why.

(see the answer keys)

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