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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 is the maid at Susan and Matthew's home?

2. What does the young man in "England Versus England" want to find?

3. What is Maureen Jeffries' profession in "Between Men"?

4. The woman in "A Room" seems to have _____________________.

5. What is the level of communication Hetty has with her children?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the premise of "Our Friend Judith"?

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

3. What is Maureen's father's perspective on Maureen's life?

4. Why does Susan consider leaving a note for the coroner before she dies?

5. How do Maureen and Peggy determine to move forward with their lives in "Between Men"?

6. What does Jack's dream reveal to him?

7. What is the significance of the story's title?

8. What does Catherine learn from Isaac Babel?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role of the family in Lessing's stories.. What does it mean for some of the characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How are some of the families fractured? Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

Several of Lessing's works are classic stories of loss and renewal. What does that classification entail? Why do some of the stories fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

The frustration of unfulfilled affection touches several characters in the stories. Name at least two characters who experience unfulfilled love and the situations that occur as a result.

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