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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 do Lessing's parents do in preparation for their next voyage?

2. According to Lessing, what happens to women as time passes?

3. To which of the following does Lessing compare writers?

4. In Chapter 3, which of the following does Lessing describe as her first memory?

5. What was Lessing's name for her outward personality?

Short Essay Questions

1. After tracing the history of her parents' lives, what does Lessing ponder?

2. In Chapter 6, what was Lessing's mother's primary concern about the children?

3. Describe Lessing's outlook on the future of the world and human society.

4. How did Lessing avoid dealing with her conflicts with her mother?

5. In Chapter 4, what prompted the Tayler family to move to Africa?

6. Why did Lessing's parents have all their teeth removed before leaving for Africa?

7. What advantage does Lessing that claim she has in writing her autobiography late in her life?

8. Describe the conflict between Lessing's parents regarding the servants.

9. Describe the English views of themselves and their relation to other people as Lessing portrays it in this chapter.

10. According to Lessing in Chapter 2, what is the role of truth in autobiographical writing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Born during the final days of the British Empire, Doris Lessing presents a unique take on the Empire and imperial policy. Discuss Lessing's developing views on the Empire. Explore themes such as the ethics of the Empire, the financial ramifications of the Empire, and the social changes that she discusses after the fall of the Empire. What does her overall message regarding British imperialism appear to be? Support your answers with evidence from the autobiography.

Essay Topic 2

After her experiences of living in Persia and Southern Rhodesia, Lessing formulated an opinion on "The Native Problem" - the dilemma that the English settlers in various Commonwealth holdings experienced in interacting with the people whose lands they occupied. Discuss Lessing's position on "The Native Problem". How did Lessing feel about that particular issue? How did her opinion compare to the opinions of her contemporaries? What was the underlying reasoning for her beliefs? Was she justified in her opinion?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Lessing's perspective on social and political activism. How did Lessing connect theory and praxis? Were the people whom she associated with isolated intellectuals or were they activists for a particular cause? How did Lessing portray activist causes throughout her autobiography? What did she advocate?

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