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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 Nick do when he learns that his mother wants to see him?

2. What does Nick do at sunrise the next morning?

3. Where does Nick like to spend time at the hospital?

4. In what year does this story take place?

5. To where does Nick walk to visit his friend, Bill?

Short Essay Questions

1. Besides death and the fear of it, what is another important theme in the book which is evident in the Memoir for Chapter 2?

2. How does Hemingway contrast the passive lives of Mr. and Mrs. Elliot with the passion of the young bullfighter?

3. What is the scenario of bullfighting in the Memoir of Chapter 9?

4. Explain the real source of conflict in the story and why it is entitled "The Doctor and The Doctor's Wife."

5. Why does Hemingway insert the sullen waitress at the inn?

6. Explain the subject for "Big Two-Hearted River: Part I," the story for Chapter 14.

7. Explain the scenario of the Memoir of Chapter 8.

8. What parallels does Hemingway draw between the three bullfighters and Mr. and Mrs. Elliot and her lover?

9. How does Hemingway use dialogue to show the crumbling state of the young couple's marriage?

10. Describe the format of this book.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hemingway gives Nick the ability to see beyond immediate pain and discomfort by putting him in situations that give him hope. Cite some examples where Nick's mood and spirits lift when his hopeful nature takes over.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the use of irony in the life and death situation in the logging camp where the Indian woman gives birth at the same time that her husband commits suicide. How does this experience affect Nick's outlook on life? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Most of Hemingway's characters has at least a minor flaw but Mr. Elliot in Chapter 9 seems especially handicapped despite all his attempts to live a conventional life. What internal and external struggles does Mr. Elliot have? What assaults on his male pride does he endure? What about his sense of professional competency? Explain.

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