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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 is John Dowell's nickname for Captain Edward Ashburnham?
2. How many years of "uninterrupted tranquility" transpire between the Ashburnhams and the Dowells?
3. During the visit to the castle, where does Florence Dowell touch Captain Edward Ashburnham on his body?
4. In the second chapter, it's revealed that John and Florence Dowell spend twelve years of their marriage doing what?
5. Why is John Dowell drawn to Leonora Ashburnham?
Short Essay Questions
1. Is it surprising that John Dowell, the narrator in Part 3, Chapter 1, tries to justify Captain Edward Ashburnham's relationship with Nancy Rufford?
2. Explain the motivations of each character (Florence Dowell, John Dowell, Leonora Ashburnham, and Captain Edward Ashburnham) for taking the trip to the castle.
3. Have the Ashburnhams ever had physical or emotional affection for one another?
4. Why does John Dowell enjoy the train ride to the castle?
5. Is it wise for John Dowell to marry Florence?
6. Why does John Dowell laugh at Leonora Ashburnham when she says she can learn to "accept the situation" between Florence Dowell and Captain Edward Ashburnham?
7. Does Florence Dowell indeed have a heart condition?
8. Why does John Dowell identify with Leonora Ashburnham?
9. What is surprising about John Dowell's reaction to Maisie Maidan's death?
10. Why does Florence Dowell commit suicide?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Compare and contrast The Good Soldier's main characters: John Dowell, Florence Dowell, Leonora Ashburnham, and Nancy Rufford. Of these characters, who is the most morally righteous? Who is the most enlightened? Determine the identity of the novel's hero, or whether the novel has a hero at all. In your assessment consider the following questions: does Ford seem to sympathize with any of these characters more than the others? What qualities make one of these characters "better" than the others? Who, if anyone, does Ford believe one should model his behavior after? If Ford indeed elevates one character over all the others, what does his preference imply about the overall message of the novel?
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the significance of Nancy Rufford's insanity. Why does Nancy go insane? Does Nancy's insanity reveal anything about the novel's overall message? Does Nancy's insanity reveal anything about the author's attitude toward Nancy? Is it significant that Nancy goes insane rather than dying or committing suicide as the novel's other characters have?
Essay Topic 3
Is Edward Ashburnham a sympathetic character or is he entirely a villain? If Edward is indeed sympathetic, in what instances can the reader view him sympathetically?
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This section contains 1,009 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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