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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. Why does Clarissa not wear her favorite dress to her party?

2. What does Clarissa find ridiculous about Peter?

3. Clarissa thinks that, in Peter's eyes, she _____________________.

4. Who has Clarissa been thinking a lot about lately?

5. Why has Peter returned to London?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Clarissa's immediate thoughts when Peter surprises her by showing up at her house?

2. Who are Septimus and Lucrezia and what behavior of Septimus' bothers her when they are with other people in the park?

3. Which woman does Clarissa admire more than anyone and longs to be like her?

4. What is the source of Septimus' odd behavior, and what is the only recourse Rezia feels that she has?

5. In what ways is Clarissa like the author, Virginia Woolf, in her personality traits?

6. How has Septimus changed since the war and what are Rezia's thoughts about his altered behavior now?

7. What does Peter feel about seeing Clarissa after so many years, and to what does he attribute Clarissa's breaking their engagement?

8. Who is Sally Seton and what role does she play in Clarissa's life?

9. What are Clarissa's thoughts on this June morning and what are some of the reasons that the world seems pleasant to her?

10. What memories does Clarissa have about living at Bourton and being in love with Sally Seton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Mrs. Dalloway" is a classic mid-life crisis story. What does that classification entail? Why does this novel fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the major settings for the novel. Why does Woolf use the settings she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the story. Which of the characters are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

(see the answer keys)

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