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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 change in Mrs. Wilkins does Mrs. Arbuthnot notice in Chapter 11?

2. What does Lady Caroline note about Mr. Briggs behavior towards her when they first meet?

3. Why doesn't Lady Caroline want Mr. Wilkins to come stay at the villa?

4. What reason does Lady Caroline give to Mrs. Fisher for why she wants to be left alone in Chapter 10?

5. What does Mrs. Arbuthnot believe of Frederick's presence at the villa at the end of Chapter 20?

Short Essay Questions

1. Is Mrs. Arbuthnot happy to see her husband at dinner or not? Does she believe he has responded to her letter?

2. How does Mrs. Fisher react when she finds Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot in her sitting area? Why does she react this way?

3. Why is Lady Caroline displeased with Mrs. Fisher at the beginning of Chapter 10?

4. Who is Ferdinand Arundel?

5. What does Lady Caroline realize about herself in Chapter 16?

6. How does Mellersh fit in with the women as illustrated in Chapter 15?

7. What does Mrs. Fisher suggest to Lady Caroline to get well in Chapter 10?

8. What embarrassing mishap happens to Mellersh in Chapter 14?

9. What does Lady Caroline contemplate as Mrs. Fisher talks about her beauty in Chapter 10?

10. What do Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Wilkins talk about on the way to the village in Chapter 11?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the character Mrs. Fisher. What is her role in the novel and what are her defining character traits? Does she get along with her housemates? Why or why not? How does her relationships with the other housemates change as the novel progresses? How does Mrs. Fisher learn to live for the present and future instead of the past?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the examples of imagery in the novel. What are some examples and do they have any symbolic meaning attached to them? What sort of images does von Arnim depict of nature? How does the imagery of Italy contrast with the imagery of London?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot. What troubles do they experience in their marriage at the beginning of the novel? How are these problems illustrated? Why does Mrs. Arbuthnot decide to invite Mr. Arbuthnot to the villa? How does the change of scenery help their marriage?

(see the answer keys)

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