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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. How does Clarissa characterize Hugh?

2. Who was Clarissa's maiden aunt?

3. Clarissa wishes she could be more like _________________.

4. Why has Peter returned to London?

5. Which relative of Clarissa's did Peter find it impossible to get along?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Daisy and what role does she play in Peter's life?

2. Who is Peter Walsh, and what role did he play in Clarissa's life?

3. What were Peter's thoughts of Richard Dalloway when he first met him at a dinner party?

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

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

6. Why had Clarissa broken off her engagement to Peter?

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

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

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

10. What do both Peter and Clarissa secretly think about the other?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Explain the significance of the novel's simple title -- "Mrs. Dalloway". Why did Woolf choose this title? Is there an understood message in the title? Is there another title you can suggest that might be more appropriate?

Essay Topic 3

Dissatisfaction takes on an almost human persona in this book. What was the source of the dissatisfaction of some of the main characters? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

(see the answer keys)

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