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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 men on the board of the hospital meet to vote on the new chaplain. The vote is a tie between which characters?

2. How many wills are read after Featherstone's funeral?

3. Who seeks out Lydgate at the beginning of Chapter 43?

4. What is Bulstrode's occupation?

5. What does Will call Lowick?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the objections that the men of Middlemarch express about the way Lydgate practices medicine?

2. Why does Mrs. Vincy encourage Rosamond to go to Stone Court more often?

3. Describe Lydgate's role in the appointment of the new chaplain.

4. Why does the author choose to write this novel?

5. After the reading of the will, how does Mr. Vincy feel about Rosamond's marrying Lydgate?

6. How do Mr. Brooke and Casaubon feel about Ladislaw in Chapter 37?

7. What do Fred and Peter Stonehouse fight about?

8. What happens on the night of Featherstone's death?

9. What do Featherstone's two wills state?

10. Describe how Dorothea, Mr. Brooke, and Celia, respectively, feel about Dorothea's engagement to Casaubon.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The women of Middlemarch, as all Victorian women, obey their husbands to various degrees. Some are perfectly obedient, while others rebel against the constraints placed upon them. Pick three wives from the novel, and compare their attitudes toward their husbands and their duties as a wife. Does their behavior correlate in any way with the quality of their relationships? Does it affect how others see them? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Imagine if the characters of "Middlemarch" lived today. Choose one character. How would their life be different? What place in society would they occupy? Do you think their story would have ended differently? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Both Rosamond and Dorothea rebel against their husbands but in very different ways. Compare their characters. How are their methods of rebellion different? Does their rebellion get equal results, or is one more effective than the other at circumventing her husband's wishes? How does their rebellion affect the way they are seen by the community? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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