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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. After Captain Edward Ashburnham's death, Leonora Ashburnham shares with John Dowell a letter written by which of the following people:

2. How old is Leonora Ashburnham when she makes it her responsibility to rebuild the Ashburnham fortune?

3. Which event in the novel is known as the "Kilsyte case"?

4. Just before John Dowell comes to visit the Ashburnhams, Leonora Ashburnham bursts into Nancy Rufford's room and insists that Nancy do which of the following:

5. Which Christian denomination do Leonora Ashburnham's parents follow?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

3. 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?

4. Why does John Dowell dislike Rodney Bayham?

5. Does Leonora Ashburnham approve of the affair between Captain Edward Ashburnham and Maisie Maidan?

6. Is Leonora Ashburnham a sympathetic character?

7. Given Captain Edward Ashburnham's adulterous history, why does Leonora Ashburnham send Edward and Nancy to a concert together?

8. If Leonora has been so patient and accommodating of Captain Edward Ashburnham's actions, why is Leonora unable to forgive Edward for giving money to the woman accused of murdering a baby?

9. In Part 4, Chapter 5, John Dowell claims that he is jealous of Leonora Ashburnham. What reason does John have for being jealous of Leonora?

10. Leonora accepts many of Captain Edward Ashburnham's affairs; however, Leonora does not accept Edward's affair with Florence Dowell. Why does Leonora especially disapprove of Edward's affair with Florence Dowell?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What message does The Good Soldier send about the institution of marriage? Does the novel present a positive, negative, or indifferent view of marriage? Does Ford aim to leave the reader believing, like John Dowell, that marriage is a rotten apple and a prison?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast The Good Soldier's two male main characters, Edward Ashburnham and John Dowell. Are either of these characters more of a "man" than the other? Of these two characters, who does Ford seem to sympathize with the most? What qualities make either of these characters more sympathetic than the other? If Ford does indeed elevate John over Edward, or vice versa , what does his preference imply about the overall message of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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