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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. Joyce wrote a review of a play written by _________________ and received a complimentary letter from the playwright himself.

2. How did Joyce choose to deal with his troubles?

3. In what city was Joyce born?

4. Where did Joyce go to further his studies?

5. What did Joyce and Nora name their new daughter?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What difficulties did Joyce encounter when trying to enroll in classes in Paris in 1902-1903?

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

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

6. What did Ellmann think were some of the inspirations for Joyce's novel ULYSSES?

7. What type of writing did Joyce find interesting at this time and which author even sent Joyce a letter?

8. Describe the salient points of Ellmann's explanation of Joyce's writing of "The Dead".

9. What was the nature of Joyce's work in the 1907-1909 period?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters who either embodied or experienced disappointment; then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of James 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 3

Substance abuse seemed to be an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive was the abuse? Why did it have such a prevalent place in Joyce's life? How did it affect him? How did it affect those impacted by Joyce's abuse? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

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