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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. To which party did Ken Graham belong?

2. Where did Lessing and Gottfried go with friends?

3. In Chapter 17, how did Klaus' father keep his name off the debt list?

4. How many jobs was Gottfried working?

5. How many eggs did Lessing attend to on the farm?

Short Essay Questions

1. What rationale did Lessing give for her marriage to Gottfried Lessing in Chapter 14?

2. In Chapter 11, who was Dorothy Schwartz?

3. Describe Lessing's entrance into love and romance as she describes it in Chapter 10.

4. In Chapter 13, how did Lessing rationalize her decision to leave Frank and their two children?

5. Discuss Lessing's mini-vacation to Capetown.

6. In Chapter 19, what does Lessing describe as the smartest decision that she ever made?

7. Ultimately, why did Lessing think that she and Gottfried were mismatched?

8. How did Lessing support herself when she no longer lived with her parents?

9. Describe Lessing's ultimate assessment of the impact of the Communist Party in Southern Rhodesian politics.

10. When John was 9 months old, what did Lessing and Frank decide to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In this section of the autobiography, Lessing detailed her progression to sexual awakening and maturity. Analyze Lessing's developing notions on sexuality in that section of her life story. How did she view sexuality? How did her views differ from the majority of those in her community? How did Lessing derive those notions of sexuality? Provide details from the text.

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

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.

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