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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. Which man believes Maureen is making a mistake by dating the man in #120?

2. What does Mary make for the woman?

3. What realization does Jack come to after his father's death?

4. What revives Hetty enough that she thinks she might live through the winter?

5. What does the old potter make in the woman's dream?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the premise of "The Temptation of Jack Orkney"?

2. What is the time period of "An Old Woman and Her Cat"?

3. Describe Hetty's existence as a homeless woman with no family.

4. What is the premise of "Homage for Isaac Babel"?

5. What does the potter symbolize in "Two Potters"?

6. What are Tony Head's drawbacks according to Maureen?

7. Why does Susan fabricate having a lover?

8. What was life like for Matthew and Susan Rawlings prior to their marriage?

9. What does Catherine learn from Isaac Babel?

10. Why is Hetty originally willing to move from the streets to an official home and what stops her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters in the stories who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

What is the overall setting for the stories in the book? Be sure to include geography, time period and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did Lessing choose to use these places in the stories?

Essay Topic 3

Loss seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of loss? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

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