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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. Who tells William of the Driffield's background?
2. Who is Miss Fellows?
3. What mystifies the young William about Rosie after he hears her history?
4. Who is generous in giving new writers a leg up?
5. Into what topic does Kear ease into finally?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does William express about the concept of beauty?
2. Why does Roy want William's assistance in writing Ted's biograph and what is Roy's purpose in doing so?
3. Describe Rosie.
4. How does Ashenden characterize Alroy Kear's writing career?
5. How does William initially meet Rosie?
6. What does William learn from Mary-Ann?
7. Describe Mary-Ann.
8. How does William act for a while around the Driffields after seeing Rosie with Kemp?
9. What does Ashenden think about Roy as a person?
10. What are Roy and William doing and what topic does Roy bring up?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
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?
Essay Topic 2
Setting as far as place and time play an important role in Cakes and Ale, although at the time the time is contemporary. Discuss the following:
1. Compare and contrast several aspects of the setting of that day from how it would be today. Consider things such as cultural norms and expectations, technology, religion, and medicine.
2. Do you think Cakes and Ale would be different if it were set in the United States of America in that same era? Consider particularly class issues.
3. What issues that are present in the time of Cakes and Ale would still be issues today? What would no longer be issues? Consider such things as class, women's roles, sexual freedom, propriety, manners, and integrity.
Essay Topic 3
There are a number of interesting questions raised by this book. Questions that most likely Maugham wanted the readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:
1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?
2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the author's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Maugham's probable agenda concerning that idea.
2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?
3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?
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This section contains 1,261 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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