2. John Dowell can only recall one particular dress his wife Florence wore during their stay at Nauheim. What kind of material is this dress made out of?
(a) Silk.
(b) Satin.
(c) Linen.
(d) Velvet.

3. Which character is a devout Irish Catholic ?
(a) Leonora Ashburnham.
(b) Florence Dowell.
(c) John Dowell.
(d) Captain Edward Ashburnham.

4. Where does John Dowell go after Florence dies?
(a) He takes a vacation to France.
(b) He joins the military and goes to India.
(c) He moves to London.
(d) He returns to the United States.

5. Which best describes Florence Dowell's social views and behavior?
(a) Florence behaves like a religious zealot who calls for the chastity and purity of women.
(b) Florence behaves much like an old-fashioned English aristocrat.
(c) Florence behaves like a revolutionary feminist who demands that women be liberated from social norms.
(d) Florence behaves quite like a modern woman.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the woman who Captain Edward Ashburnham meets in India?

2. What time of day is it when John Dowell first hears of his wife's affair with Captain Edward Ashburnham?

3. Soon after the Dowells are married, Florence Dowell asks her husband to hold something for her. What is the object Florence asks her husband to hold?

4. In the second chapter, what does John Dowell receive from Edward Ashburnham?

5. In the first chapter, the narrator describes the story as what?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part 1, Chapter 2, John Dowell recites a folktale about a she-wolf who betrays her husband for a poet. Why is John's telling of the folktale significant?

2. How is Florence Dowell's social behavior different from her family's?

3. How do the personalities of Florence Dowell and Leonora Ashburnham differ?

4. Describe Captain Edward Ashburnham's reputation and accomplishments.

5. Is it surprising that John Dowell, the narrator in Part 3, Chapter 1, tries to justify Captain Edward Ashburnham's relationship with Nancy Rufford?

6. John Dowell supposes that Captain Edward Ashburnham eventually tired of Florence Dowell's affection. What might have caused Captain Edward Ashburnham to become tired of his affair with Florence?

7. Based on John Dowells narration in Chapter 1, Part 1, do you think The Good Soldier will end in resolution or in tragedy?

8. According to John Dowell's point of view, what qualities define English culture?

9. What is the significance behind the novel's title, The Good Soldier?

10. Describe Leonora Ashburnham's physical altercation with Maisie Maidan and its significance.

(see the answer keys)

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