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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 disease did Dinesen contract from Bror?

2. What was the name of the family home where Dinesen decided to spend time in 1900?

3. Which pet of Dinesen's died during this period?

4. Why did Dinesen's maternal family oppose her interest in the men in #25?

5. With whom did Dinesen build a rapport while in Africa?

Short Essay Questions

1. In addition to diseases, what were some of the losses that Dinesen suffered in her life that made her health fail in 1923?

2. Why was becoming an adult not what Dinesen expected in terms of her life's direction?

3. Where did Dinesen study art formally and why was the experience disappointing for her?

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

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

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

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

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

9. How could Dinesen's marriage to Bror best be described?

10. When and where was Isak Dinesen born and by what other names was she known?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Independence takes on an almost human persona in this book. What was the source of the depiction of independence in so much of Dinesen's life? How strong were Dinesen's feelings and need for independence? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the impact that Isak Dinesen had on the world of literature in the 20th century. How was her work perceived? What did she give up in order to create? How did she feel about her own work? How is Dinesen perceived today on the world stage of literature?

Essay Topic 3

Create a brief character study of Thomas Dinesen. What did he look like? What were his positive personality traits? What were some of his negative characteristics? What do we know of him? What were his hopes and fears? What were his primary motivations during his life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample