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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. For what is the narrator of "Sonnet For the End of a Sequence" grateful?

2. What does the poem "Superfluous Advice" suggest about gossip?

3. Throughout their marriage, how many evenings have the Weldons experienced that are similar to the one described in "Too Bad"?

4. To what does the narrator compare the lighting in the speakeasy?

5. What excuse does the narrator suggest would have been better to explain Mona's "illness"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the short story "The Last Tea," why does the girl brag about the evening that she had the night before?

2. How does Hazel Morse lose her own identity in her efforts to please others in the short story "Big Blonde"?

3. In the poem "The Last Question," what is the purpose of the italicized lines?

4. Compare the poems "Ultimatum" and "Requiescat." How are they similar?

5. What kind of advice do the poems "Prologue to a Saga" and "The Lady's Reward" give to women?

6. In "Mrs. Hofstadter on Josephine Street," how is Horace the exact opposite of what the narrator and her husband are looking for?

7. Describe Mr. Cruger's attitude toward his daughter in the story "Horsie."

8. Compare the poems "Bric-A-Brac," "Fulfillment," and "Theory." What do these poems have in common?

9. In "Soldiers of the Republic," what does the narrator learn about the life of a soldier?

10. Describe the narrator's tone in the story "Just a Little One."

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

Examine Dorothy Parker's use of death imagery in both her short stories and her poetry. What purposes does this imagery serve? What themes do these images support? Be sure to use specific evidence and quotations to prove your observations.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Dorothy Parker's criticisms of modern life. How does she attack consumerism and societal "niceties"? What aspects of modern culture does she find fault with? What are the negative consequences of such behaviors? Be sure to provide specific examples and quotations as support for your analysis.

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