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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. According to Maurice in Part III, Chapter 3, how old was Daniel when he died?

2. How does Maurice describe Daniel in Part III, Chapter 2?

3. According to Maurice in Part III, Chapter 2, what does he experience after reading Theo's letter?

4. According to Theo in Part III, Chapter 2, very few people are interested in what?

5. What strikes Maurice upon meeting Theo in Part III, Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Maurice at the start of Part III, Chapter 3?

2. What surprising news does Maurice have in Part II, Chapter 6?

3. Who is Nicholas Bray and what does he think of Maurice and Edith's work in Part II, Chapter 3?

4. What trouble does Daniel get into at school in the second interlude? How is the situation resolved?

5. Discuss Maurice's thoughts regarding Dash, as recounted to Theo in Part III, Chapter 3.

6. Describe Maurice's professional life during the second interlude.

7. According to Maurice in the second interlude, what happened with Henry Rowe when he was a teenager?

8. How does Maurice respond to Theo's letter in Part III, Chapter 1? Why?

9. What confrontation happens on Christmas? What makes Edith suspicious?

10. What demand does Rebecca make of Edith in Part II, Chapter 6? Why? How does Edith respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the novel, A Ladder to the Sky. How does the title reflect the main characters? How does the title reflect the novel’s themes? How does the title’s meaning change over the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

According to Maurice, “[n]ot all monsters look like the Elephant Man, and not everyone who looks like the Elephant Man is a monster” (245). To what extent does Maurice’s outer appearance a true reflection of his inner self? To what extent does Maurice’s outer appearance allow him to behave monstrously?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the many people integral to Maurice’s life: Edith, Daniel, Erich, and Dash. Does he truly love any of them? If so, whom? What is the nature of this love? What point do you think the author is trying to make about love?

(see the answer keys)

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