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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. According to the quote at the opening of Chapter 1, the girl in Lessing's mother's favorite saying only cared about which of the following?

2. What kind of food were the children fed at the convent that Lessing stayed in as a child?

3. What social development occurred during Lessing's stay at the Convent which, much to the chagrin of the nuns, parents supported?

4. How did Lessing's mother convey her distaste for Emily McVeagh?

5. How many acres of land did James Tayler own in 1851?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lessing describe her childhood vulnerability?

2. Describe Lessing's father's medical condition in this chapter.

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

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

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

6. In Chapter 8, how did the girls at the school avoid exams?

7. While their mother was bedridden, what did Lessing and her brother do?

8. Quoting a recent historian, to what major event does Lessing attribute current feelings of mistrust toward the government?

9. How did Lessing's parents plan to acquire land in Southern Rhodesia?

10. What did Lessing suspect was the root of her mother's illness?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gender emerges in the autobiography as a determining factor in Lessing's life that influences her behavior and reception as a young woman within her community. Discuss the way in which Lessing portrayed the effect of gender roles on her growing identity. How did Lessing's mother model femininity? How did Lessing act out against or comply with that model of female behavior? How did she seem to define herself as a woman?

Essay Topic 2

World Wars I and II played a significant role in Lessing's autobiography. Analyze the way in which she grappled with the Wars as historical events; and the repercussions that Europe and the rest of the world faced as a result of those conflicts. How did Lessing portray those effects in the autobiography? How did the Wars differ from other conflicts before them? What was Lessing's opinion regarding those Wars in particular; and the practice of war in general? What reasons did she give for her views on war?

Essay Topic 3

During her young adult years, Lessing becomes affiliated with the Communist Party of Southern Rhodesia - at the time, considered a very political party for a young British woman to join. Discuss Lessing's initial feelings regarding the Communist Party, as well as the changes that occurred to that opinion during the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. What was Lessing's political stance at the time of her autobiography? How does she comment on the ideals and implementation of Socialism or Communism? How would instituting a Communist government in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) have been different than instituting a Communist government in Europe?

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