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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 Clarissa nervous about?

2. What gives Mrs. Latch's garage the look of a miniature house?

3. How many times has Laura tried to get the cake right?

4. What is the devil Virginia refers to?

5. How many times will Clarissa Dalloway have kissed a woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Virginia see as a kind of devil?

2. What makes Virginia, at this point, begin to reconsider killing off her character, Mrs. Dalloway?

3. What do the two women exchange as Laura prepares to return home?

4. What is unusual about Louis' visit?

5. Why has Virginia's attitude changed?

6. What are some of the ways in which Laura justifies to herself her trip to the hotel just in order to read?

7. Why does Walter want to buy his young partner a present?

8. What does Louis think of Clarissa?

9. What is Sally's reaction to Walter's present-buying?

10. What are Laura's rather bitter hopes about heaven?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

'Clarissa Vaughan is the only attractive character in Michael Cunningham's The Hours.' Is this a fair comment? Discuss the main characters in the novel (Clarissa, Virginia, Laura, Richard) and refer to others as you think appropriate.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Cunningham's style in The Hours. Was it essential for him to adopt a style similar to Virginia Woolf's in order to compose this novel?

Essay Topic 3

'Freedom is a concept, but not an experience.' How might this be applied to the characters in Michael Cunningham's The Hours?

(see the answer keys)

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