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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. At the end of the story "Arrangement in Black and White," what detail of the dinner party is the woman eager to share with her husband?

2. In the story "Mr. Durant," how long has it been since Mr. Durant first met Rose?

3. What does Mrs. Corning ask the volunteers at headquarters to do before they leave for vacation?

4. How long have Mr. and Mrs. Bain lived in their home?

5. In the poem "The Veteran," how has age changed the narrator's perspective?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the short story "The Sexes" reveal about the relationship between the young man and the girl he is dating?

2. How are the poems "Somebody's Song," "Unfortunate Coincidence," and "Comment" similar?

3. In "The Standard of Living," why does Midge become so upset over Annabel's imaginary purchase of a silver fox coat, and what does her reaction suggest about her personality?

4. What does Mr. Durant's response to the dog reveal about him?

5. What do the poems "Interview" and "Neither Bloody Nor Bowed" have in common?

6. In the short story, "The Wonderful Old Gentleman," what influence has the Old Gentleman had on the Bains' lives in the five years that he has lived with them?

7. In the short story "A Telephone Call," how does the narrator rationalize her irrational behavior?

8. In the story "Dusk Before Fireworks," why does Kit try to pretend that she is not bothered by the attention that other women pay to Hobie?

9. How might Mrs. Martindale solve Mrs. Wyman's problem and her own at the same time?

10. Compare the poems "Social Note" and "For An Unknown Lady."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Suicide plays a recurring role in many of Dorothy Parker's poems and in some short stories. Examine the role that suicide plays in both her poetry and her short stories. What seems to be her attitude toward suicide and those who attempt or commit it? What circumstances drive characters toward suicide? How do these details compare to Parker's own life? How might her own experiences have influenced her writing?

Essay Topic 2

Many of Dorothy Parker's characters are careless of others and sometimes even of themselves. Examine these careless characters and the effects that their behavior has on others and themselves. What observation does Parker seem to make through these characters? Support your points with specific examples and quotations from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the theme of lost love in Dorothy Parker's poetry. How consistent or common is this theme? What do the poems reveal about Parker's attitude toward love, in particular lost love? Be sure to include specific examples and quotations to support your observations.

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