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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 Neville conclude at the end of his Section 6 monologue?

2. What does Bernard seem to be struggling to do during his final monologue of Section 8?

3. What is most notable about Jinny's Section 6 monologue?

4. To what kind of historical figures does Louis compare himself in Section 6?

5. In Section 8, who contends that the characters have "destroyed something by our presence"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe how Susan appears in Section 6.

2. How does Bernard's role change in Section 8, and what evidence do you have to support that?

3. The first thing the reader learns in Section 5 is that Percival has died. How did he die, and who does it seem to have the strongest effect on?

4. What in particular separates Section 7 from the prior two sections, and why is that significant?

5. What is most notable about Section 5's opening description and why?

6. Why doesn't Percival's death have a strong effect on Bernard in Section 5?

7. In Section 6, we encounter the three character who were omitted from the previous section. Describe their places in life at this point.

8. Describe the way Louis is characterized in Section 7.

9. What are the characters doing at the beginning of Section 8, and why is that important?

10. Characterize the way Bernard appears in Section 5.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Jinny kisses Louis, only Susan is privy to the event, and this event should have only affected these three characters. But the loss of innocence pervades the whole novel. Write an essay which examines the theme of the loss of innocence, beginning with an analysis of "The Kiss" and its effect on the group.

Essay Topic 2

Based on your familiarity and knowledge of the Modernist movement, how is this text the typical Modernist novel? What of its features are "Modernist?" What topics does it tackle that make it "Modernist?"

Essay Topic 3

Evaluate the success or failure of Woolf's writing style in this novel. The use of intertwining monologues is clearly the most significant decision Woolf made when preparing to write this text, but it is now your turn to critique whether or not the style is effective. If the characters are always speaking, why doesn't Woolf compose a play? Why do some characters have their monologues featured, while other monologues are easy to glaze over while reading? Does Woolf succeed in creating a cohesive consciousness out of these six voices? If so, where do you find it at its most effective in the text, and if not, then what does Woolf succeed in creating with this stylistic method?

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