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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. In what month do the events of the <i>Scoop</i> begin to unfold?

2. How many children does the French colonial administrator have?

3. What was Mr. Salter's most recent previous position with <i>The Daily Beast</i>?

4. What city is Mr. Salter attempting to locate in an atlas on occasion of his first meeting with William Boot?

5. What is William's initial destination on his way to Ishmaelia?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Nannie Boggs misunderstand Mr. Salter's visit to Boot Magna Hall?

2. Why do the newspapers routinely return from the sickrooms "hopelessly mutilated" at Boot Magna Hall?

3. How does Dr. Benito treat William when he discovers that the latter is not going to Laku?

4. Describe the personal quarters of Lord Copper within the Megalopolitan building.

5. How does William avoid meeting with any of the important members of the <i>Daily Beast</i> when he arrives in London?

6. What primarily disgusts William about the <i>Daily Beast</i> on his return to civilized parts of the world?

7. How has Sir Jocelyn Hitchcock left the service of Lord Copper's <i>Daily Beast</i>?

8. By what misunderstanding is William Boot mistaken for the Boot that Lord Copper asked Mr. Salter to find?

9. What is ironic about the Consul-General of the first Ishmaelian Legation visited by William?

10. How do the journalists in Jacksonburg make up for the lack of news when they first arrive in Ishmaelia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In a well-developed analytical essay, compare and contrast two of the caricaturizations in Scoop. Examples would be Mrs. Julia Stitch, Nannie Bloggs, Corker, Kätchen's husband, Frau Dressler, and Mr. Baldwin. Each is representative, in an exaggerated, ridiculous way, of a strong type of character. How are your choices portrayed in the story? In what ways are these caricaturized portrayals alike? In what ways are they different? What effect on the reader is produced by each caricaturization? How is the reader invited to perceive the characters?

Essay Topic 2

If there is any one character who is a victim in the story, it is Mr. Salter. He does not understand anything that is going on around him, is ordered around by his superiors, and denigrated by his subordinates. Compose an analytical essay on the character, actions, and fate of Mr. Salter. What sort of person is he? How does he comport himself in various situations? Is his "future" as prescribed in the final lines of the book a fitting one or not? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Scoop, Waugh takes things that are ordinarily considered to be serious or important, and at once exaggerates their importance to some people while utterly discarding it to others. Analyze this satirical, sarcastic exaggeration in an essay that addresses the politics of Ishmaelia, the newspapers, British high society, wealth, and fame. What characters consider these things important? Which consider them unimportant, if they consider them at all? What is implied about the importance of such things by these contrasted considerations?

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