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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. Where does Stoner sleep on his first night with Edith after they're married?

2. How much money does Edith bring home from her father in Chapter VI?

3. What does news of never penetrate Stoner as it does other students when he is in college?

4. How long do Edith and Stoner have to try for a child?

5. What is the name of Stoner's friend who is impressively intelligent and cynical?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is William and Edith's first time making love described?

2. How is William's experience in his first English class described?

3. How is William and Edith's first night together as a married couple described?

4. How does William react after being offered a teaching job at the University of Missouri?

5. How is Edith and William's relationship described when they return from their honeymoon?

6. What is the nature of the letter William receives from Edith after he proposes to her?

7. How has Edith changed when she returns home from her father's funeral?

8. How is Hollis Lomax first described in the book?

9. How does William come to decide to get a PhD in English?

10. How does William learn about the new agriculture program at the University of Missouri?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the concept of sympathy that is portrayed in the book. Why does the author portray characters like William, Charles, and Hollis as sympathetic? What might he wish for the reader to learn about the nature of this concept based on the portrayal of these characters?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the theme of emotion that is portrayed in the book. What role does emotion play in William's life, including at home and at work? Does he appear to be an emotional person or does he lack a connection to this part of himself?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the concept of introversion that is portrayed in the book. What is the author saying about the nature of being introverted based on his portrayal of William and Sloane in the book?

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