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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. Who does Elinor hope to find more about while in London?

2. What does Willoughby offer Marianne as a present?

3. Why does Elinor think her situation with Edward is better than Marianne's situation with Willoughby?

4. Who does Mrs. Jennings say Willoughby is now engaged to?

5. How much money does John initially decide to give his stepmother and sisters?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Mrs. Dashwood so taken with Willoughby?

2. Why is Elinor presented as the one who will make the right decisions for the Dashwoods?

3. What does Sir John's character say about eighteenth century upper class?

4. Why is the fact the sisters are going to London so important?

5. What do you think the importance of Willoughby is to the story at this point?

6. Why, if Elinor is so independent thinking and the one person in the family with sense, does she write to her mother for advice?

7. Why do you think Edward never approaches the subject of why he is so upset?

8. How does Edward's arrival produce new hope for the Dashwood's?

9. Does Elinor strike up a friendship with Lucy because she likes her?

10. Why does Elinor dislike Willoughby so much?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the major themes of the novel is the benefit of logic over emotion. Do you think Austen places too much emphasis on logic? Could the logical characters work more efficiently without the more emotional character? Or do they both work to keep each other in check?

Take a scene from the novel where logic prevails and discuss what would happen if there was no logical thinking to keep the emotional characters in check.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the values of the eighteenth century.

1) Is it more important to have money in the eighteenth century than it is now? Pick a character and discuss what would happen if they were not born into money. Do you think some of the characters' obsessions with money are justified?

2) Why is marriage in the eighteenth century such an important institution? Is it more important for men or women? Is it wise to marry just for love? Is Jane Austen's happy ending merely a romantic notion that would rarely happen?

3) Does modern society share any values with eighteenth century society?

Essay Topic 3

Jane Austen often presents John Dashwood as a figure to make fun of. Do you think this is fair to his character? Is his decision not to give his sisters any money more than just a financial decision? Does he try to make it up to them as the story progresses? What does this say about his character?

(see the answer keys)

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