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. What does William use to interpret between the lines of what he learns about Ted and Rosie?

2. Where does William want to stay when helping Roy?

3. When does Ted write his greatest books?

4. What is the key to Kear's stable popularity?

5. What does William say the English reverence in general?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe Mary-Ann.

3. What happens when William finds Rosie at tea one evening and then after Rosie walks out the door?

4. How does Ashenden characterize Alroy Kear's writing career?

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

6. Why does Roy want William's assistance in writing Ted's biograph and what is Roy's purpose in doing so?

7. What does Ashenden ignore but still wonder about?

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

9. Who comes to see William off to the new school term and how does William act?

10. What does Ashenden think about Roy as a person?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Though Somerset Maugham denies it, many literary critics and readers think there is a clear resemblance of Ted Driffield to the real-life Thomas Hardy and Roy Kear to Hugh Walpole. Some even say that the narrator, William Ashenden represents Somerset Maugham. Discuss the following:

1. Research the French phrase roman à clef or roman à clé and discuss how that term is applicable to Cakes and Ale.

2. Research the author Thomas Hardy and compare his life to that of Ted Driffield. How are the similar? How are they different? Are the similarities enough to warrant the belief that Roy Kear represents Walpole?

Does Hardy seem to have a Rosie, Amy, or Isabel in his life? What details about Hardy's life that you uncover seem to be the same as what is written about Driffield?

3. Research the author Hugh Walpole and compare his life to that of Roy Kear. How are the similar? How are they different? In what ways to their personalities seem similar? Are the similarities enough to warrant the belief that Roy Kear represents Walpole?

4. Research the author Somerset Maugham and compare his life to that of William Ashenden. How are they similar? How are they different? In what ways to their personalities seem similar? Are the similarities enough to warrant the belief that William Ashenden represents Maugham?

Essay Topic 3

Though in some ways, William is merely an observer and the story teller, Cakes and Ale might be considered a Bildungsroman, or Coming of Age story with William as the hero. Discuss the following:

1. Define Bildungsroman and give several examples from literature you have read.

2. Trace and analyze the character of William as he grows from a youth to an older man. Is he likeable? Sympathetic? What are his strengths and weaknesses? Do those strengths and weaknesses change as he ages? How does William change as he ages?

3. After thoroughly analyzing William's character, do you think Cakes and Ale could be considered Williams Coming of Age story? Why or why not?

4. Are there any other characters in Cakes and Ale who go through a Coming of Age experience? Who? Why do you think so?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,359 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample