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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. Who tells Mrs. Bulstrode some of the details concerning the gossip about her husband?

2. Who tells Rosamond of the suspicions about Lydgate?

3. How old is Dorothea when she becomes a widow?

4. Who vows support of Lydgate and claims they do not believe the accusations against him?

5. Why does Ladislaw refuse the money offered to him by Bulstrode?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the circumstances of Casaubon's death.

2. What is Rosamond's response when Lydgate confesses all of his debts?

3. Describe Ladislaw's visit to the Lowick church.

4. What is Bulstrode's part in Raffles' death?

5. What revelation does Mrs. Garth make to Fred Vincy?

6. What is Mrs. Bulstrode's reaction to what Mr. Vincy tells her about her husband?

7. What happens when Dorothea dines with Farebrother, his mother, and his aunt?

8. What is Mr. Garth's plan to right the wrongs bestowed on Fred Vincy by Featherstone?

9. What are Lydgate's fears about what will happen to him because of the gossip about Raffles' death?

10. Why is Dorothea upset about Casaubon's will?

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

The narrator compares Dorothea to two different characters from other works. Choose a character, fictional or non-fictional, and compare Dorothea with that character. Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

There are many examples of symbolism in the novel; for examples, the keys Featherstone is holding when he dies, Fred's horse, and so on. Analyze the author's use of these symbols and what their use contributes to the novel as a whole. Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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This section contains 791 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample