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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. For what position does Toby recommend Billy Le Fever?

2. What are the "beds of justice"?

3. How old is Tristram when he is injured by a falling window sash?

4. Who falls in love with Toby Shandy in Volume 8?

5. How long does Toby know the Widow Wadham before he falls in love with her?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the "beds of justice"?

2. How does Toby plan to approach Widow Wadham about his affections?

3. What inconsistencies exist in Tristram's friendship with Eugenuis?

4. Why do Toby and Trim temporarily move in with Widow Wadham?

5. How does Toby discover his love for Widow Wadham?

6. Why does Trim take responsibility for Tristram's injury in Volume 5?

7. What position does Toby recommend Billy Le Fever assume in the Shandy household?

8. What might Tristram mean when he describes romance as, "It is with love as with cuck-oldom"?

9. Describe the farcical nature of the story of the abbess and the novice.

10. What difficulty does Tristram encounter in Lyon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Sterne describe the roles of men and women in the novel? How does the 18th century perception of women and their roles in society affect their action and dialogue? How do the perceptions of his father and uncle affect Tristram's perception of women?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the symbolism evident in the novel. What is the significance of Bobby's death and Tristram's journey through France? How are symbols or symbolic imagery used to advance the plot?

Essay Topic 3

How does the setting of the novel affect the mood of the story? Describe the differences between Sterne's masculine and feminine settings. Why does the masculine setting dominate the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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