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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. Why did George Marshall refuse to keep a diary?

2. Who did Eliot often dedicate her novels to?

3. What did Sara Jane Lippincot say about Eliot's smile?

4. Where did Marshall attend college?

5. When was Augustine born?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of attitude did Marshall have towards institutions, according to Brooks?

2. For Augustine, what did the stealing of the pears symbolize?

3. How did George Marshall humiliate his father when he was a young boy?

4. How did Marshall win over his classmates at VMI?

5. What sect's teachings did Augustine initially follow and then renounce?

6. In what ways were Eliot and George Lewes well-matched as a couple?

7. How was Marshall affected by his wife's sudden death?

8. What request did Marshall make for his funeral arrangements?

9. What was Augustine's relationship with his mother like?

10. What kinds of romantic relationships characterized Eliot's years as a young woman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Brooks think that the common commencement address advice for graduates to follow their passion is flawed? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your arguments (21).

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay comparing and contrasting the writers Samuel Johnson and Michel de Montaigne. How does each man embody and reflect the tenants of humanism?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay explaining why Brooks thinks moderation is a "generally misunderstood virtue" (69). Do you agree or disagree with Brooks' opinion on this matter?

(see the answer keys)

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