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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 is Susan's husband's profession?

2. How did Adrian commit suicide?

3. How old was Susan when she married?

4. What word from Chapter 1 refers to the action of clearing blame of someone?

5. What is the name of Veronica's brother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What led to the protagonist's divorce?

2. What do the protagonist and Alex conclude regarding Adrian's suicide?

3. How does the narrator describe the meeting with his friends one year after Adrian's suicide?

4. What differences can be seen between Veronica and the protagonist during their courtship?

5. Why is the protagonist angered by the fact that Adrian is labeled as mentally disturbed regarding his suicide?

6. What are the protagonist's impressions of the Ford family when he meets them?

7. How is Veronica described when the narrator first meets her?

8. In the present tense narrative, what are the protagonist's circumstances as described in the conclusion of Chapter 1?

9. How is Veronica's visit to London described when she goes to meet the protagonist's friends?

10. How does the dynamic of the narrator's group of friend's change with the introduction of Adrian?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the Severn Born in The Sense of an Ending? Where in the novel does the author describe this phenomenon? What do you think it symbolizes? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the protagonist's interactions with Veronica in Chapter 2. How has Veronica changed since her youth? How would you describe her personality? What are the justifications for Veronica's actions in the second half of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the motif of suicide in The Sense of an Ending. How is the act of suicide regarded by the protagonist and his friends? What characters commit suicide and why? What does suicide represent thematically in the novel?

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