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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. When Nancy Rufford is a child, how does her father treat her?

2. During the Ashburnham's last night at Nauheim, what does Leonora Ashburnham suggest to her husband?

3. After the trip to Monte Carlo, Captain Edward Ashburnham reunites with his military regiment. When he rejoins the regiment it is stationed in which of the following countries:

4. How does Captain Edward Ashburnham die?

5. On the morning Leonora Ashburnham is bedridden, what does Nancy Rufford realize after reading the newspaper?

Short Essay Questions

1. Is Leonora Ashburnham a sympathetic character?

2. In Part 3, Chapter 4, John Dowell describes many unfortunate circumstances that contributed to the downfall of the Ashburnham marriage. With John's sympathetic portrait of the Ashburnhams in mind, do you think unfortunate circumstances are to blame for the destruction of the Ashburnham marriage or are the Ashburnhams themselves to blame for its downfall?

3. Do you think the Ashburnhams have ever consummated their marriage?

4. Who is Nancy's father? Edward White or Cornell Rufford?

5. Do you agree with John Dowell when he says that Captain Edward Ashburnham does not feel remorse?

6. Why does John Dowell dislike Rodney Bayham?

7. In Part 4, Chapter 1, what is John Dowell's motivation for blaming both Leonora Ashburnham and Florence Dowell for the downfall of the Ashburnham marriage and not Captain Edward Ashburnham?

8. How has Captain Edward Ashburnham changed since his youth?

9. John Dowell describes Nancy Rufford as a young and exuberant Catholic school girl. Is Nancy as pious and righteous as her religious upbringing might suggest?

10. Why does John Dowell continually excuse Captain Edward Ashburnham from the reader's judgment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the role religion plays in The Good Soldier. In the essay discus the history of Catholicism and Protestantism, how the characters' religions affect their relationships, and, lastly, whether John's Protestantism causes any unfair biases in his narration. After thoroughly discussing the aforementioned topics, asses the novel's overall message about religion.

Essay Topic 2

Consider Edward Ashburnham as a romantic hero. Is Edward Ashburnham wrong for satisfying his romantic desires or is he simply a libertine who casts aside the established norms of his society? Are Edward's sexual liaisons simply Edward's way of expressing his individuality? Is Edward more "free" than other characters because he acts on his desires and does not pay heed to the arbitrary obligations imposed by the institution of marriage?

Essay Topic 3

The Good Soldier makes explicit comparisons between the awkwardness and unruliness of American life and the stately and opulent life of an English estate. Ford juxtaposes American culture and English culture not only by throwing the American Dowells and the English Ashburnhams together, but also by describing the generous and industrious eccentricities of Florence's Uncle John. Explain the role nationalism plays in The Good Soldier. In the essay consider the following:

1. Do the characters' nationalities cause conflict in the novel? If so, how?

2. Considering that Ford is English, does he show any biases? Does Ford accurately render American sensibilities or does he stereotype them?

(see the answer keys)

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