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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 skills did Lessing teach herself during that year?

2. In Chapter 9, which year does Lessing describe as a "make or break" year in her life?

3. Where did Kurt claim his real education occurred?

4. What did Lessing do most afternoons with the new baby?

5. Where did the young people in Lessing's circles get their beer?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In Chapter 11, who was Dorothy Schwartz?

4. Describe the beginning of Lessing's relationship with Gottfried.

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

6. Describe the letter Lessing received from her mother in Chapter 9.

7. Describe Lessing's decision to marry Frank Wisdom.

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

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

10. Why did Lessing direct her focus on the Communist ideas that she was developing in this chapter instead of focusing on the events of her life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As Lessing recounted the details of her young adult life, she commented on the institution of marriage through a discussion of her three unsuccessful unions. Examine Lessing's position on marriage and divorce in the text. Was her notion of marriage and divorce congruent with the notion of marriage and/or divorce at that time? If not, how did her opinion vary? What were her messages regarding marriage and divorce customs in the British Empire at that time?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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