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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. Who asserts, "One moment does not lead to another" in Section 4?

2. Who is picking flowers alone in the novel's first section?

3. What does the italicized prose at the beginning of the first section describe?

4. What does Bernard describe during his first line of monologue?

5. What is significant about what day it is at the end of Section 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the group act differently when Percival arrives in Section 4?

2. Why is Bernard's announcement of his engagement in Section 4 significant?

3. Describe the way Section 3's introduction, the italicized vignette, fits in with the rest of Section 3 as a whole.

4. Characterize Bernard's attitude towards Louis as described in Section 3.

5. Which of the characters appears most at ease in Section 3, and why?

6. Describe how Section 2 is structured.

7. How are Jinny and Rhoda characterized in Section 3?

8. What is the significance of having each character introduce themselves by identifying a specific image in Section 1?

9. Why is it relevant that Bernard is the first speaker in Section 4?

10. What is significant about the way Section 2 is introduced?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a detailed essay that addresses the question of whether or not Bernard is the novel's central character. Provide ample textual evidence to support your claim.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Bernard revel in solitude at the end of the text? What does this say about him, and what does it say about the group as a whole? Do you think there is any evidence that Woolf is attempting to create a more subversive message, one that tarnishes the value of unified groups and instead expresses that the kind of unity the characters had as children was unattainable ever since Jinny kissed Louis? It would also be prudent to consider Rhoda's death for this question.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters of Louis and Bernard, who seem to constantly sway between admiration and jealousy toward each other. Why do they pursue such separate life paths? What leads them to their major decisions? How do they find themselves at the novel's conclusion? What makes them arguably the two most similar characters in the text?

(see the answer keys)

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