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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 does Messinger decide to do?

2. How does Tony's weekend farce turn out?

3. Who nurses Tony back to health?

4. Why does the young woman become unfriendly to Tony?

5. How does Mrs. Rattery try to distract Tony while waiting for Jock and Brenda?

Short Essay Questions

1. How long is it before Tony and Messinger are able to talk to the men of the village about what they want?

2. How has Tony again entrusted his life to someone for whom that trust is not valid?

3. What happens after Brenda has written Tony and telling him about John Beaver?

4. How does Tony finally take some of his own personal power back and take charge of his destiny?

5. How is the inadequacies of the social circle in which Brenda revolves evident with the death of John Andrew?

6. Why does Tony have to appear to be in the wrong?

7. How does Brenda use the death of her son to justify her request for a divorce?

8. What is rather ironic about how divorce is treated in this era?

9. What seems to be contrasted in this chapter?

10. How does Brenda take the news of her son's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In , Chapter 3, "Hard Cheese on Tony , Part 1," Tony encounters Jock at the Brat's Club. At first Jock feels a little awkward with Tony, since everyone knows about Brenda's affair with John Beaver. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think it is wrong of Jock to know something so important to Tony's life and not tell him? Why or why not?

2. Where are there other examples in the text when Brenda's affair is being discussed? Give examples and analyze the motives of the characters and morality of the situation.

3. Do you think Brenda not saying anything sooner is motivated out of compassion or greed? Give specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

The men in A HANDFUL OF DUST often seem to get the bad end of the stick from the women in their lives. Some say that Waugh's somewhat compassionate treatment of Brenda and other women in his other novels who have "strayed" is a reflection of his own life. Discuss the following:

1. How does Waugh portray the relationship between men and women in A HANDFUL OF DUST?

2. Do you think Waugh's portrayal is accurate? How much of his portrayal of how the women treat the men may be a reflection of his personal experience? (This may require a little research).

3. Are there any women in the text who are portrayed admirably? Who? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Some readers and/or critics might say that A HANDFUL OF DUST contains some elements of a dark comedy. Discuss the following giving specific examples:

1. Define dark comedy and give some examples of works of dark comedy in literature and/or film.

2. Discuss several scenes from A HANDFUL OF DUST that might contain elements of a dark comedy.

3. Why do you think Waugh incorporates elements of dark comedy into this work?

(see the answer keys)

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