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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. How does Driffield appear physically the last time William sees him?

2. What does William fail to do when Ted gives him money?

3. In what town does Ashenden grow up?

4. What is Kear able to do?

5. How long has Ashenden known Kear?

Short Essay Questions

1. Briefly describe William's interaction with Ted and Rosie when he is a youth.

2. Describe Roy Kear.

3. What does William offer out of his memories of Ted and how does Roy respond?

4. How does William act for a while around the Driffields after seeing Rosie with Kemp?

5. What are Roy and William doing and what topic does Roy bring up?

6. What does Lady Hodmarsh say about Amy Driffield?

7. Describe Quinten Forde.

8. What does William think about Ted's depiction of the high-born and others comparing Ted s to Shakespeare?

9. Describe William Ashenden.

10. Why does the Vicar not want to discuss Rosie and Ted?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 5, Gossipy maid Mary-Ann fills young William in on the Driffields' history. Discuss the following:

1. What is ironic about Mary-Ann gossiping about someone else being immoral? Research what both the Jewish Torah and the Christian New Testament says about gossip and slander.

2. What is hypocritical about Mary-Ann gossiping about someone else being immoral?

3. Do you think it is moral for Mary-Ann to be telling a youth the information she gives William? Why or why not?

4. William interprets the information from Mary-Ann through the lens of his reading novels that deals with such topics. What does this say about William's worldly experiences? His being ready to hear what Mary-Ann says?

Essay Topic 2

Titles often reveal much about one or more aspects of a novel. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think is the purpose of a title? How closely related to a major theme(s) of a book do you think a title should be? Or should it be?

2. The phrase "Cakes and Ale" appears in both Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Aesop's Fable The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Research these two references and discuss the connection they may have to Maugham's book.

3. If you were the writer of Cake and Ale and your editor says the title must be changed, what would you choose? Why?

Essay Topic 3

William Ashenden is the narrator of the novel, which Maugham chooses to write the novel from the first-person point of view. Discuss the following:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this novel being written in the first person?

2. Do you think the novel would be more effective in a different point of view? Which one if so? Why not if you think the first person works the best?

3. If the narrator is actually the author, much of what is written are real events witnessed by the author. Then does the first person make sense from that perspective? What if the book was truly fiction with no ties to "real" people, does the first-person point of view still seem like the best choice? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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