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 was it about Paul that led to the attack on him?

2. What does Paul do that gets him expelled?

3. The impression we get of the education system is that

4. It seems that Paul will only have one profession open to him, which is that of

5. Captain Grimes, another master, has

Short Essay Questions

1. Poor Mr. Prendergast is a sad character. What is the primary theme that courses through his life?

2. Paul and young Beste-Chetwynde seem to become immediate friends. Describe what we know of Beste-Chetwynde from this chapter.

3. What is Margot Best-Chetwynde's interest in Chokey?

4. How does Paul learn of the invitation to tutor young Beste-Chetwynde over the holidays? Is it unusual? If so, how?

5. How is Prendergast's wig related to the "intractable" behavior of his students?

6. The mysterious Philbrick speaks wistfully of his father, Chick. Discuss Chick.

7. What emotions does the appearance of Chokey raise in the guests?

8. What kind of picture is emerging of the British school system in this chapter?

9. How is it that Paul loses the inheritance of his father's money?

10. What do we learn about Digby-Vaine-Trumpington from the letter Potts has sent to Paul?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Decline and Fall is a hilarious story that would lend itself well to a stage play or movie. Research to determine whether the story has ever been scripted for either. If so, include in your essay when, where and how the story was presented, the actors and producers and any reviews that might have resulted.

Essay Topic 2

If the Bollinger Club were a real entity, it would be a disgrace to its members' families. Do some research and determine whether Waugh based the idea of this club on a real club or organization. Write about how being part of a line of princes, kings and nobility can affect the ideals and morals of its members, according to Waugh. Are the Bollingers good people? Bad people? Explain your position.

Essay Topic 3

Write a well-researched essay about the British educational system in the late 1920s, its flaws and any reforms that have taken place over the last decades. Has the system improved? Is it still a second-choice job to be a school master in England? How do England's test scores compare with other countries'?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,328 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample