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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 are the potatoes from in Las Papas?

2. What physical problem does the central character of Terminal suffer from?

3. The author of The Explosion in the Parlor is from where?

4. Who wrote The Street Sweeping Show?

5. What dish is the father preparing in Las Papas?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the stories Emilie Plead Choose One Egg and The Grass-Eaters relate to one another?

2. Who is the shoe breaker in The Shoe Breaker? What happens in this story?

3. What is the setting of Di Grasso? From whose perspective is the story told?

4. What is the back-story established in Orion? Who are the main characters?

5. What does the central character in Arrest Me have as his objective? Why?

6. Who is the central character in There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting Me on the Head? What happens to him?

7. How do Di Grasso and The Street-Sweeping Show relate thematically?

8. What does the protagonist in A Lover's Ear keep with her at all times? What takes place in the climax of the narrative?

9. What do the characters in Looking for the Rain God decide to do in order to bring rain?

10. Why does the central female character in Facing the Light send her servant away? What realization does she face?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Doris Lessing's career, style and awards. How is Lessing's work represented in Homage to Isaac Babel? What recurring themes appear in Lessing's works?

Essay Topic 2

House Opposite presents an opposing image of societal piety from La Volpaia, one western and one eastern. Describe these different views and how they are reflected in the protagonists.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the symbolism, characters and settings of The Book, Facing the Light and Lost Keys. How is the theme of aging represented in each of these works?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 861 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample