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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 American poet was the Poet Laureate of the United States from 1949 to 1950?

2. Malcolm drew a parallel between Anne Stevenson's failed relationship and her guilt-ridden past to the subservient role she took on with whom?

3. Where did Malcolm ask her taxi driver to detour on the way to interview Clarissa Roche?

4. What editor of The Journals of Sylvia Plath was criticized for her own omission of some works?

5. In a letter to Anne Stevenson, Ted defended his stance of publicly disassociating himself from ________.

Short Essay Questions

1. When and why did Clarissa Roche begin a biography on Sylvia? What was it like?

2. What did Malcolm write of the unread letter in Part Three: Chapter III?

3. What was A. Alvarez's main criticism about Anne Stevenson's biography of Sylvia?

4. What did Ted Hughes write to Anne Stevenson regarding Bitter Fame?

5. What did Anne Stevenson reveal about Ted Hughes in her interview with Malcolm in Part Two: Chapter IV?

6. When and why did Ted Hughes and A. Alvarez put their differences behind them?

7. What surprised Malcolm about Anne Stevenson in her similarities to Sylvia?

8. What public dispute did Alvarez and Ted Hughes have via letters?

9. What kind of life did Anne Stevenson live? How was she similar to Sylvia Plath?

10. When and why did Anne Stevenson and Olwyn Hughes put their differences behind them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Dido Merwin and her critical response of Bitter Fame. What were the main points of the biography which were attacked and why?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the relationship between Janet Malcolm and Anne Stevenson at the University of Michigan. When did Stevenson's writing career take off?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Olwyn Hughes. What were Malcolm's first impressions of Olwyn like?

(see the answer keys)

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