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. When did Dinesen return to the coffee plantation after the trip with Denys?

2. What role did Dinesen play in her relationship with Bjornvig?

3. Dinesen thought that _________________________ were among the most courageous acts a human could do.

4. What topic did Thomas suggest for Dinesen's writing during this period?

5. What was the name of the book which Dinesen worked on during World War II?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some reasons that Dinesen's work was so well received during her lifetime?

2. Why did Bjornvig leave Dinesen after four years together?

3. How did Dinesen's relationship with Denys initially work well for both of them?

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

5. To what does the author draw parallels with Dinesen's work during middle age?

6. 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?

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

8. 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?

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

10. How did Dinesen spend some time during the early years of World War II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Wilhelm Dinesen. What did he look like? 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 2

Who was Thorkild Bjornvig and what role did he play in Isak Dinesen's life? Why was Bjornvig so important to Dinesen? Why did the relationship between the two end so disastrously?

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 1,077 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample