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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. In Section 7, how does the poem which Louis muses on begin?

2. What phrase does Susan use to describe her position in life as it is in Section 7?

3. Which of the characters appears most able to move on from the significant news in Section 5?

4. For how long does Bernard stay where he travels in Section 7?

5. Who is Section 6's last speaker?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Bernard travel to Rome in Section 7?

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. Characterize Neville's state of mind as he appears at the end of Section 6.

5. What is different about Susan in Section 7?

6. How is Section 6's opening description distinct, and what should the reader expect from the rest of the section?

7. Which image becomes more dominant in Section 8's introductory vignette, and what do you think it signifies?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Evaluate the novel's final image. It is an appropriate one? What is the significance of both the waves as they appear in these vignettes, and as a title? Are there other instances of waves appearing in this novel, rather than in their literal form? There are many instances where a character's interior monologue describes something as being wave-like. Does the novel structurally parallel waves?

Essay Topic 2

How is Woolf able to create a coherent text that features a plot that can be summed up in the course of a few sentences (which you should offer in the course of your essay)? What are her greatest successes and greatest failures? Keep in mind that this was Virgina Woolf's last fully completed novel published before her suicide, and is often regarded as her masterpiece (although many of her works are generally considered masterpieces in their own right). Do you agree with the historical appraisal of this novel? It is okay to not like, or even hate this novel, a text that engages in such high levels of experimentation is likely to be divisive. In regard to how you feel towards the novel in particular, try and fathom whatever the opposite opinion could be. That is, if you find the novel successful, talk about how you can see that others may find it tedious and difficult.

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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