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. Who usually watched Jewish girls who peddled fruit?

2. What did a lodging manager do when a child brought in a stolen item for rent?

3. Who worked for very low wages in the hopes of finding something to sell?

4. How did many musician patterers support themselves?

5. What does Mayhew seem to believe about certain occupations?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did patterers earn their living and what is an example of a story that demonstrated a patterer's skill?

2. What were some of the positive aspects of being a costermonger?

3. What types of generalizations did Mayhew make about the London street people and how did this reflect Victorian thinking on industrialization?

4. How did dustmen and mudlarks help each other?

5. Describe the facilities that were opened between 1847 and 1849 that caused the chimney sweeps to wash more often.

6. What did mudlarks do and how did they bathe?

7. How did Jewish traders survive in London and how does Mayhew portray the Jewish traders?

8. Who normally held a crossing sweep position and how was that job viewed? How did the crossing sweep have to eat sometimes?

9. What was the story Mayhew told about a crossing sweep from Dublin?

10. Where did most costermongers and their families live

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Due to competition, the photographer had to offer portraits for a half-penny, an impossibly low price. To bolster earnings, he either lured people into buying a more expensive photo, or sold them bogus products like a "Patent American Air Preserver" that was actually just scrap paper.

1. After reading this photographer's story would you consider him to be of low moral character? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Explain why this photographer's actions demonstrates the validity of the cliche: buyer beware. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you believe it is the responsibility of the seller of a goods to make certain the goods are worth the selling price or it is the responsibility of the buyer to decide that? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

One magician worked as an errand boy for four years until at 14 he began to sell oranges outside a theater. From there he went to selling beer inside the theater, to being an extra on stage, to acting at the age of 15. After the show closed, he worked as the doorkeeper until the owner mentioned an opening for a magician. With no knowledge, skill or experience, he volunteered for the position.

1. Discuss this magician's story in terms of the rag to riches stories which were prevalent in America in this era. (This answer may require some research). Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think this magician's story seems to suggest that anyone of the London poor could do better if they would just work at it? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. What might people in dire straits in modern America learn from this story? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Vagrants were those who loitered in the streets with no work or occupation. Mayhew described them as, "Youths, prostitutes, Irish families and professional beggars." Many were young men between 12 and 20 years old, whom Mayhew described as budding criminals.

1. How does Mayhew's statement about vagrants demonstrate his tendency to generalize groups of people. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think all vagrants were budding criminals? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Why do you think Mayhew specifically mentions Irish families in his writing about vagrants and budding criminals? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,317 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample