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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. How do both Mrs. Weldon and Mr. Weldon feel about their apartment?

2. What is the message behind the poem "Fable"?

3. In the story "Mrs. Hofstadter on Josephine Street," what are the narrator and her husband looking for in a servant?

4. What does Mona say is wrong with her?

5. Why hasn't Garry sent flowers to Mona?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Compare the poems "Surprise," "On Being A Woman," and "Second Love." What do they have in common?

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

4. In "Glory in the Daytime," how does Mrs. Murdock's visit with Lily Wynton change her perspective on her own life?

5. What is the lesson behind the poem "Parable for a Certain Virgin"?

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

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

8. Explain the irony in "Ninon de Lenclos, On Her Last Birthday."

9. What is the complaint that is raised in the poem "Penelope"?

10. Explain the allusions in the poem "Prayer for a New Mother."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Dorothy Parker's "Self Portrait" and her letters. What do these pieces reveal about her as a person? How do these revelations compare to the themes and characters that she writes about? Be sure to include specific examples and quotations to support these observations.

Essay Topic 2

Some of Dorothy Parker's short stories follow a traditional story format of narrative and dialogue, while others rely simply on one-sided dialogue. Examine these two different approaches to storytelling and evaluate the effectiveness of each. What does Parker achieve by only giving one side of the conversation in some stories? Why might some stories require more complete description? How might the stories be different if she chose a different approach? Be sure to provide specific examples and quotations when appropriate.

Essay Topic 3

Social equality is a common theme in Dorothy Parker's work. Explain how she uses her short stories, poetry, and essays to attack racism and promote racial equality. Include specific examples and quotations to help support your points.

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