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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 begin spending his time after Edith remodels his study?

2. What does Edith begin remodeling Stoner's basement study as after her father's death?

3. How is the weather outside described when Stoner has his first out-of-body experience?

4. How does Lomax say that Stoner has treated Walker after he refuses to pass him?

5. Who tells Stoner that he should be the one insulted by Charles Walker's presentation in Chapter IX?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does William react when Finch asks him if he wanted to be the new head of the English department?

2. How does Lomax aid Charles Walker during his oral examinations?

3. How is William and Katherine's week away in the Ozarks described?

4. Describe William's actions after Katherine drops off her dissertation for him to read.

5. How does William's relationship with Edith change after he begins having an affair with Katherine?

6. How does Charles Walker react when William threatens to fail him from his seminar?

7. How is William able to get his preferred class schedule back from Lomax in Chapter XIV?

8. How does Lomax react after William refuses to pass Charles Walker?

9. How does Finch try and help William not lose his job over his affair with Katherine?

10. What is the nature of William's conversation with Lomax when he tries to mend their relationship over the Charles Walker situation?

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

Compare and contrast the characters Katherine and Edith in the book. How might William consider Katherine everything he wished for Edith to be and what is holding Edith back from being that person for him?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of death is one that is portrayed through many characters in the book including David Masters, Archer Sloane, and eventually William Stoner. Considering the evolution of death through these three characters, what might the author be saying about the nature of death and its impact on others?

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