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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 was the wish that Dinesen's aunt had for Dinesen?

2. What pen name did Dinesen adopt?

3. What was Dinesen's most famous literary work?

4. Which of Dinesen's sisters died at an early age?

5. By what other name was Dinesen called?

Short Essay Questions

1. What mental affliction might Dinesen have suffered from and what was the main symptom?

2. How did Bror react to Dinesen's affair with Denys?

3. How did Hans Blixen's rejection of Dinesen ironically work in her favor in terms of what her Aunt Bess wanted for her?

4. Explain why Dinesen was drawn to the feminist movement of the early 20th century.

5. Why did Dinesen have difficulty fitting in with the aristocratic landowners in Africa?

6. How did being a woman challenge Dinesen's writing career?

7. How did Dinesen's father, Wilhelm, live his life and why did he commit suicide at the age of 50?

8. What was the nature of Dinesen's relationship with her father and how did she address her feelings of loss after his death many years later?

9. How did World War I put even more strain on Dinesen's relationships with the aristocratic landowners?

10. How has Dinesen's biography been compared to a novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of the book's title. Why is it called simply "Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller"? What was Judith Thurman trying to emphasize with this emphatic style? Suggest three alternate titles for this book with supporting rationale for each.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the cultural climate in Europe in the mid-20th century and why Dinesen's work did not always meet with overwhelming acceptance. How did the perception of Dinesen's work change as the years passed? What was the reception of Dinesen's work in America? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of women in Europe in the early twentieth century. What precedents did they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions did they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have? What roles did Dinesen fill which made men in her life uncomfortable? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 978 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample