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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 suggest to Roy as he arrives?

2. What is William determined to do despite his uncle forbidding it?

3. What happens when William is riding a bike soon after he learns how?

4. How long has Ashenden known Kear?

5. What does William thinks fills Ted's books?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does William say when asked about Edward Driffield and what do they debate?

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

4. How does William link Ted's advancing age with his success?

5. What does William express about the concept of beauty?

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

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

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

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

10. Describe Roy Kear.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cakes and Ale is perhaps more of a character-driven plot rather than action-driven. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character-driven or action-driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character-driven versus action-driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

Roy never marries because he believes marriage interferes with art and "people do not want to be bothered with the wives of authors and painters." Discuss the following:

1. How do you think having a spouse can detract from one's art?

2. How do you think having a spouse can enhance one's art?

3. When looking at the ways a spouse can either enhance or detract from one's art, which matrimonial state do you think you would choose were you an artist? Why?

4. What other aspects of life can detract and/or enhance one's artistic output?

Essay Topic 3

Mrs. Greencourt holds a tea party attended by Mrs. Encombe, Blackstable's first "New Woman." She leads the discussion of novels that the Vicar advocates burning but some of the ladies admit enjoying. The group concludes that literature ought not deal with the vicious aspects of society. Discuss the following:

1. Describe and analyze the discussions at the tea party at Mrs. Greencourt. What is said about literature? Do you agree? Why do you think the participants say this? Do you think they agree or are afraid to be branded as coarse themselves?

2. Many of the ladies admit enjoying some of the novels that the Vicar advocates burning. Research and discuss how novels are evaluated in the mid to late Victorian era. How has the attitude towards novels changed today?

3. Discuss the idea that literature ought not deal with the vicious aspects of society. Do you agree? Why or why not? Do you think the literature of today has gone too far as to what novels will include? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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