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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 Chapter 2, what is one thing that Lessing says the writer must have in order to begin to write about his/her life?

2. In which book did Lessing write about Mr. Whitehead?

3. What type of animals frequently made their way into the Tayler house?

4. What did Lessing's parents think of the Whiteheads when they first met them?

5. To which book did Lessing often compare her childhood?

Short Essay Questions

1. From the details Lessing provides in Chapter 1, describe the circumstances which led to Maude's broken heart.

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

3. What did Lessing do one night when she was forced to remain in the cabin while her parents attended a dance?

4. In Chapter 7, what did Lessing and her brother do in the bush?

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

6. Describe the circumstances that led to Alfred's depression.

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Growing up in two distinct regions of the British Empire, Lessing received a very intimate portrait of race relations in the British territories before the dissolution of the Empire. Analyze the way in which Lessing approached race and race relations in her autobiography. How did she define the term, race, among the people living in Persia and Southern Rhodesia at that time? How did the different races interact in Southern Rhodesia? How did Lessing's understanding of race compare or contrast with the opinions of those around her?

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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