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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. What is the name of the journal of the New School for Social Research that Agnes helps to co-found and edit?

2. Father decides that he will apply his business sense to the publication as he has no experience in ___________.

3. How many pages has the purchased publication shrunk to when Eugene buys it?

4. What does Kay write for the first year at her father's newspaper?

5. Kay battles with a hated __________ teacher about a paper on the position of women in the Middle Ages.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Agnes consider to be a part of the contract of marriage in terms of duties?

2. Where does Kay's education begin as she is growing up as a part of the Meyer family?

3. How does Kay avoid academic probation after battling with a hated history teacher?

4. Why does Agnes go to Europe for two months after the birth of her daughter, Elizabeth?

5. What does Father think about Kay's admission to the London School of Economics?

6. What does Agnes do four months after the birth of Kay?

7. Why is Philip Graham's father not keen about the idea of Kay and Phil getting married?

8. Why does Phil denounce the efforts of the Teamsters to unionize the Post's circulation?

9. Why can't the Washington Post attract any high quality staff to write for the paper?

10. What happens when Kay ingratiates herself to several key labor figures during a labor dispute she is covering?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the lessons that Eugene Meyer wanted to instill upon his children is the lesson that those with wealth should be willing to give to others.

Part 1: Why do you think that Eugene felt that social responsibility and charity is something that is important to those with wealth?

Part 2: Does the fact that Eugene was willing to use his money for good make him more or less of a person?

Part 3: Do you think that helping others should be a part of the lives of wealthy people? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

While there is rampant sexism in the times of the book, Kay's mother seems to carve out her own path, regardless of any boundaries before her.

Part 1: Why do you think that Kay's mother was able to have such an enriching and varied life?

Part 2: Why do you think that Agnes' passion for life and learning couldn't have been incorporated into how she raised her children?

Part 3: What does this say about Kay's mother that she focused more on the outside world than on her family?

Essay Topic 3

Kay seems to suffer from tremendous self esteem issues during the story, causing her to often feel as though she were a duck out of water in social gatherings.

Part 1: Why do you think that Kay didn't have much sense of her own self worth?

Part 2: How might Kay's life have been better had she been instilled with more self esteem?

Part 3: Do you think that Kay finally does realize her value in society by the end of the book? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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