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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. The narrator states in the beginning of “Life in the Iron Mills,” “The idiosyncrasy of this town is” what?

2. When was Rebecca Harding Davis’s last essay, “The Disease of Money-Getting,” published?

3. What word from “Life in the Iron Mills” means slow, dull, or sluggish?

4. What is the name of the judge that sentenced Hugh Wolfe in “Life in the Iron Mills”?

5. Rebecca Harding Davis supported her young family by working as an editor for what publication?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Hugh’s death described in “Life in the Iron Mills”? How does Hugh die?

2. When did Rebecca Harding Davis write “Life in the Iron Mills”? Who published it?

3. How does the setting of “Life in the Iron Mills” relate metaphorically to the story’s main characters?

4. What does Deb attempt to give Hugh after they return home from the mill in “Life in the Iron Mills”? How does Hugh respond?

5. How would you describe the setting of “Life in the Iron Mills”? What tone is established through the story’s setting?

6. How are the themes of poverty and class entrapment illustrated through the character of Hugh in “Life in the Iron Mills”?

7. What happens to Deborah at the end of “Life in the Iron Mills”? What does the narrator reveal at the end of the story?

8. How would you describe the narrator of “Life in the Iron Mills”? Is the narrator involved in the action of the story?

9. What legacy did Rebecca Harding Davis leave behind, according to the author of “A Biographical Interpretation”?

10. Who are the visitors that come to the mill in “Life in the Iron Mills”? Where do they go when they arrive?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the language style and narrative point of view in “Life in the Iron Mills.” Who is the narrator of the story? Is the narrator’s perspective omniscient or limited? How does the dialogue of the story differ from the expositional style?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of art and creation in “Life in the Iron Mills.” Which character in the story shows great talent? What is the author’s statement about this talent? How does this theme relate to the author’s biography?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the three named characters that visit the mill in the story (Kirby, Mitchell, and Dr. May). What do these characters have in common? How do they differ? In what ways do these characters drive the plot forward?

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