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. How do the abbess and the novice make their mules move?

2. Who is buried in the tomb of the two lovers?

3. Where does Toby Shandy set up his battle scenes?

4. What does Susannah burn in Volume 6?

5. Which animal does Tristram describe in Chapter 1 of Volume 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. What dispute arises over Tristram's injury in Volume 6?

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

3. How does Toby react to the end of the war?

4. What unusual friend does Tristram make in Lyon?

5. What could Bobby's death symbolize to Tristram?

6. Why does Tristram decide to travel abroad in Volume 7?

7. How is Tristram injured at the age of five?

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

9. How does the Shandy household react to the news of Bobby's death?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What impact does superficial and self-serving behavior have on the characters in the novel? Do any of the characters demonstrate growth or emotional development? What point might Sterne be making about human behavior?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Compare Toby and Walter Shandy's characters. How are these characters foils? How does each character's personality traits enhance the other's character? What philosophies bind or divide them?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,000 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample