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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 happens between Ted and his nurse?

2. What does Rosie do after William weeps at his home?

3. Why does Hillier seems suspicious at the Saturday afternoon parties?

4. What portrait is there that shows a work of Hillier?

5. What is the Bear and Key where William stays like?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Roy, Amy and William do when William arrives at Amy's home?

2. What does William think about the House of Lords and how he would assign rank within literature?

3. Describe Isabel Trafford.

4. Describe Amy Driffield.

5. What novel does Ted publish which is a ruthlessly unsentimental tale dealing with a child's death, and what is the public's response to the novel?

6. Why does Ted buy the house he buys and what does Amy do despite Ted fighting her about it?

7. How does Ted meet and marry his second wife and what is Isabel Trafford's reaction?

8. Describe the situation that keeps Rosie occupied for a couple weeks and which infuriates William.

9. What does Rosie do at night while Ted writes?

10. Describe the motel in which William takes a room when he comes to share memories about Ted with Roy and Amy .

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 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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