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. How did the women's society become physically closed off from the outside world?

2. What did Charles Walter Stetson do for a living?

3. What does Terry believe women are incapable of?

4. What was the author diagnosed with while living in Connecticut?

5. How old was the author when she married for the second time?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the women who meet the men in the town center in Chapter 2.

2. What is Social Darwinism?

3. As time goes on, how do the men come to feel about their tutors?

4. Why did Gilman take her own life?

5. What do the women get the men to admit about keeping dogs as pets?

6. What was Gilman's childhood like?

7. What punishment do the men receive for their escape attempt?

8. What does Vandyke lament at the beginning of the story? Why does Vandyck refuse to reveal the location of the country he speaks of?

9. What impresses Jeff after he has awoken in Chapter 3?

10. What do the men note about the town in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the novel's conclusion. What happens at the end of the novel? Is the ending surprising? What happens to the central characters? Are there any unanswered questions?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and interpret Gilman's use of symbolism in "Herland." What are some symbols in the novel and what do these symbols mean?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the tone of the novel "Herland." What is the tone of the novel? What language is used to convey the tone of the novel? How does the tone of the novel help to illustrate the central themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 841 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample