View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Forster says it is wrong to see the __________ in Moby Dick as a symbol.

2. Which one of the following is NOT an author that Forster considers to use prophecy well?

3. What novel does Forster refer to when discussing the supernatural aspect of fantasy?

4. Forster contends that Henry James has two kinds of main characters, the observer and the ________.

5. What does Forster say is the enduring effect of The Ambassadors?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Forster disagree with Aristotle about the purpose of characters?

2. What are the two elements that Forster says are necessary for plot?

3. What does Forster mean when he says that the works of Melville, Dostoevsky, and D.H. Lawrence have an "intermittent realism"?

4. How does a Marcel Proust novel demonstrate the aspect of rhythm?

5. How does Forster define prophecy in terms of fiction?

6. What is the difference between an inquisitive novel reader and an intelligent one, according to Forster?

7. What two qualities does Forster believe the aspect of prophecy demands from a reader?

8. How does Forster define plot?

9. How does Forster describe the Dostoevsky character, Dmitri Karamazov?

10. What is the metaphor that Forster uses to describe literary criticism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Perhaps the most elusive of Forster's aspects is rhythm. How does Forster define this aspect? Is there a better way to explain it? If it is so hard to attain, why does Forster include it as one of the seven aspects? Does a good novel need to uphold all seven aspects?

Essay Topic 2

How does Forster's point about how varied points of view reflect life parallel his points about characters made in the first People section?

Essay Topic 3

What is the relationship that Forster paints between prophecy and symbolism? Discuss this in terms of Melville and other novelists.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 713 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample