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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. Which of the following does NOT describe Dinesen upon her return to her parents' home in Denmark?

2. How did Dinesen feel about this period of her life (mid-1920s)?

3. What did most of Dinesen's fans think she was?

4. Which of the following was NOT something that made Bjornvig leave Dinesen?

5. What did Dinesen do when it looked as if she would lose the coffee plantation?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Dinesen fare when trying to run the coffee plantation on her own and why was her temporary return to Denmark not a positive move for her?

2. How does the New Year's Day killing of two lions differ in reality from the way Dinesen portrayed it in "outof Africa"?

3. What type of drugs did Dinesen become addicted to and how did they make her behave?

4. In what ways was Dinesen alienated from her own people during the war?

5. How did Dinesen behave when it seemed as if she would lose the plantation?

6. Explain why Dinesen's sensibilities and interests slot her work as Romanticism.

7. What is known about the depths of despair Dinesen experienced after the loss of the coffee plantation and how did Deny's death, ironically, free her in a way?

8. What was the underlying theme in the stories contained in "Winter's Tales" written during the early years of the war?

9. What occupied most of Denys' time in 1928, and how did Dinesen feel about it?

10. How did Dinesen and Denys live during their relationship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

It is said that a writer writes what he knows and an artist creates what he knows. What does this statement mean? Did Dinesen write about what she knew? Give three examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Bror Blixen. What did he look like? What was his family background? What were his positive personality traits? What were some of his negative characteristics? What were his hopes and fears? What were his primary motivations during his life?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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