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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 was the primary battle between Lessing and her mother centered upon?

2. What were young women specifically cautioned against in London during that period?

3. At which establishment was Frank known as "one of the boys"?

4. What did all the women assume about Lessing's marriage to Frank?

5. In Chapter 18, which of the following is NOT one of the dictators whom Lessing lists?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 11, who was Dorothy Schwartz?

2. In Chapter 12, how does Lessing describe her first son, John?

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

4. How did John react to the birth of his little sister?

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

6. What became of the three husbands who enlisted to fight Hitler?

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

8. What conditions did Lessing ponder as possible circumstances that would have changed her views on Communism?

9. In Chapter 15, what reason did Lessing give for switching law firms?

10. What did Lessing realize when she was diagnosed with Low Fever and sent to the mountains to recover?

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

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

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?

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