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. At what location is Edward when he writes a formal letter to Florence's parents declaring his intention to marry their daughter?

2. When Florence whispers her feeling to Edward, she thinks that her words hiss "in her mouth like those of a" (103) what?

3. When Edward stays at Florence's house prior to their marriage, what is the room called where Edward always sleeps?

4. What article of clothing does Edward snatch from a chair as he rushes out to find Florence on the beach?

5. Of what material are Florence's wedding night panties comprised?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the author's purpose for introducing Edward's memory about the combine harvester?

2. What is the significance of Florence's unfamiliarity with the names of birds and of plants?

3. How is the fact of Florence's childhood sexual abuse again underscored by the author during the scene of Florence and Edward's wedding night sexual mishap?

4. Why does Florence run down to the beach after the sexual mishap with Edward?

5. What event precipitates Edward's declaration of love to Florence and why does it mean so much to Florence?

6. How does Edward's analysis of the situation with Harold Mather change over a matter of weeks?

7. What is the symbolism of the pants Edward holds in his hands after Florence flees the honeymoon suite?

8. For what reason does Florence tell Edward on their wedding night that she is scared about their first sexual experience?

9. When the narrator asks what is stopping the couple from joyously and freely moving to consummate their marriage, what is the narrator's provided reply?

10. What qualities of fistfights appeal to Edward?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the author's message regarding motherhood and what themes does the author employ in order to send these messages to the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's choice to tell the story of On Chesil Beach using an omniscient narrator who relays the story from the third person point of view. What elements of the novella's themes lend themselves to this choice and what is the author's intended effect on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Sensory details are used frequently by the author in order to create vivid pictures of the lives of Florence and Edward. Choose three scenes in which sensory details are heavily used and discuss how the sensory details used by the author set a particular mood for each of the three scenes.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,346 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample