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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 does Mona say is wrong with her?

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

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

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

5. How long has the girl in the short story "The Last Tea" been waiting for the young man?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. How does the narrator of "Lady With a Lamp" make Mona feel worse rather than better?

7. In the story, "Lady With a Lamp," what is Mona's illness?

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

9. What is the cause of Mr. and Mrs. Weldon's divorce in the short story "Too Bad"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Abortion is a word that does not appear in Dorothy Parker's writing, yet it appears as a motif in several of her stories. Analyze the way in which Parker deals with this taboo in her stories. How does she introduce the topic? How does she make this detail clear to the reader? How does the event affect the characters involved? What do the stories reveal about Parker's perspective on abortion and how it affects the men and women involved?

Essay Topic 2

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.

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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