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. What did Joyce forbid Nora to wear on the trip in #68?

2. What did Joyce and Nora name their son?

3. What expensive item did Joyce buy for Nora in Galway?

4. Joyce could not attend school in the city in #25 because the school wants the fees right away and __________________.

5. Which friend did Joyce make in college who remained a good friend for many years?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Joyce use family relationships in his work and why did Ellmann think Joyce did so?

2. Who was the publisher who wanted to publish DUBLINERS and what change did he require that offended Joyce?

3. What was Joyce like as a college student at University College in Dublin?

4. Describe Joyce's father, John's, young life in Ireland.

5. What was always an important source of inspiration for Joyce's writing?

6. What was the source of a major break between Joyce and Nora in 1909 and what happened after he and Nora reconciled?

7. Describe the difficult time Joyce had in Rome while working at the bank.

8. Describe Joyce's personal and professional challenges when he returned to Paris in 1903.

9. When did Joyce meet Nora Barnacle and what was she like?

10. What was Joyce's relationship like with his father and how many siblings did Joyce have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Stanislaus Joyce. 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

James Joyce was no stranger to hurt and pain. From what you know of Joyce's life through this book, what were his biggest sorrows and worst betrayals? How did he manage through them? How did his coping skills evidence themselves in many aspects of his life? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the book. Why would writers have a lonely life even though it may have seemed exciting and glamorous to other people? Why would Nora have had an especially lonely life being the wife of James Joyce? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,276 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample