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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 William's uncle forbid?

2. What does Amy write to William?

3. About what part of Ashenden's life does he reminisce?

4. What do intelligent people cease to do after age 30?

5. What does Roy want when he calls William?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe William's memory of the last time he saw Ted.

3. Describe William Ashenden.

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

5. How does Ted know the Kemp family and what does he think of them?

6. What does Roy say about Amy as a wife and helpmate to Ted?

7. What does Ashenden ignore but still wonder about?

8. Describe Mary-Ann.

9. Describe Rosie.

10. What happens when William comes home for Easter Break and what surprising announcement does the Vicar make?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of Cakes and Ale, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur. Did you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in Cakes and Ale. How do you think Cakes and Ale be different if this were about the life of working class people rather than artists?

(see the answer keys)

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