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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does James characterize John Marcher's social life?
(a) He accepts invitations from time to time.
(b) He travels as much as possible.
(c) He hardly ever goes out.
(d) He is always socializing.

2. What was the content of the thing John Marcher told May Bartram?
(a) His bankruptcy.
(b) His faith that something tremendous was going to happen to him.
(c) His love for her.
(d) His homosexuality.

3. What does James say fiction must be, above all?
(a) Moral.
(b) Accurate.
(c) True.
(d) Sincere.

4. Whose life does John Marcher think his life should have resembled?
(a) His father's.
(b) His brother's.
(c) Everyone else's.
(d) May Bartram's.

5. What warning does Miss Vernham give Dencombe?
(a) To pay more attention to the Countess.
(b) To tend to his health not his writing.
(c) To take care of his own health.
(d) To leave Dr. Hugh alone.

6. What does Dencombe realize as he dies?
(a) People die and get reborn all the time.
(b) Books only live forever if they have readers.
(c) Writers are already dead.
(d) People only get one chance.

7. What does Dencombe feel about his writing career?
(a) He does not have any good ideas left.
(b) He still had good ideas he is anxious to explore.
(c) He has peaked.
(d) His best work is still to come.

8. What did people think fiction should do, according to Henry James?
(a) Educate or entertain.
(b) Raise powerful questions.
(c) Restore the golden age.
(d) Undermine the dominant paradigm.

9. What does Dencombe feel about his future?
(a) He expects to begin over again.
(b) He looks forward to critical appreciation for the book he is working on now.
(c) He is apprehensive about his savings holding out.
(d) He is depressed about his narrowing prospects.

10. How does James characterize Spencer Brydon's lifestyle all these years?
(a) Comfortable.
(b) Niggardly.
(c) Penurious.
(d) Shabby.

11. How does James characterize the main character's feelings for her fiancee?
(a) Lukewarm.
(b) Chilly.
(c) Indifferent.
(d) Passionate.

12. What is Captain Everard's relationship with Lady Bradeen?
(a) Cousin.
(b) Friend.
(c) Lover.
(d) Brother.

13. What quality does a premise have to have in order to be suitable for a novel, in James' opinion?
(a) It has to be rich with possibilities.
(b) It has to redefine the forms of all novels that came before it.
(c) It has to prove a moral or teach a lesson.
(d) It has to make new insights into the nature of human consciousness.

14. What does the main character do to help Lady Bradeen?
(a) Corrects an error in her telegram.
(b) Saves her money.
(c) Warns her about her husband's visit.
(d) Protects her reputation.

15. What does Spencer Brydon do with the second house he acquires?
(a) Renovates it to rent it.
(b) Installs his mistress in it.
(c) Moves into it.
(d) Installs his friends in it.

Short Answer Questions

1. What assurance does Dr. Hugh give Dencombe?

2. What does Dr. Hugh bring to Dencombe after Dencombe's collapse?

3. What do Dencombe and Dr. Hugh assume about each other before they have met?

4. What does John Marcher realize he should have done?

5. Why do the editors say James' essays on criticism are inconsistent?

(see the answer keys)

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