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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 does the narrator say she can see in her hands as she meets a potential lover?

2. What can Hamish and Mary tell about the person in #44?

3. How old is George?

4. What does the man in #44 request of Hamish and Mary?

5. Who is the young woman that Mary meets while on vacation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What angers George about the way Rose notifies him of her mother's death?

2. What is the premise of "A Man and Two Women"?

3. Why is "Through the Tunnel" a coming of age story?

4. What is the premise of "Pleasure"?

5. What is the premise of "The Day Stalin Died"?

6. How is Mr. Brooke in "The Witness" typical of Lessing's characters?

7. What does George Talbot learn about the woman with whom he has had an affair for several years?

8. How does Jimmy blame Rose for his unhappiness?

9. What is the significance of the author leaving the heart behind?

10. What surprises Mary and Hamish about the Germans they encounter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of women in England in the mid-20th century when the women in the stories are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have?

Essay Topic 2

Create a character study of Hetty Pennefather in "An Old Woman and Her Cat". What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Hetty?

Essay Topic 3

Lessing is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

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This section contains 960 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample