View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who prompts Nina to remind Mary?

2. Why couldn't Mary end the marriage?

3. What does Mary do on the way home?

4. Who is Ciro?

5. What does Mary make Karl?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mary end up driving Rowley to his hotel and what happens?

2. How does Mary begin to respond to Matthew's drinking?

3. What does Mary point out about Rowley's reputation and what is his response?

4. What does the Colonel think of Edgar's prospects in his career?

5. How does Rowley find the handgun in Mary's purse and how does that change the conversation?

6. What is surprising about Mary's response to Edgar's proposal?

7. What does Mary say about why she marries Matthew Panton?

8. What sort of arrangements does Edgar make with Ciro?

9. What happens to distress Mary about Matthew?

10. How does Karl present himself?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

W. Somerset Maugham was quite a prolific writer and lead a somewhat unconventional life for the times. Discuss the following:

1. Research and write an informative essay about the life of W. Somerset Maugham.

2. In what ways do Maugham's beliefs seem to be reflected in Up at the Villa?

3. Do you think Maugham is more like Swift or Flint? Explain your answer with examples from your research and the text.

4. How much of an author's personality do you think is reflected in his/her writing? Can an author keep him/herself completely out of the text? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

In chapter 4, when Karl and Mary are walking in the garden, Mary is suddenly beset with the idea of giving him the gift of a sexual encounter and they go back into the house together. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think Mary has thought through the idea of having sex with Karl long enough?

2. Can a one-time, sexual encounter with a stranger be a gift? Do you think it would be something that is kind and loving to do?

3. Other than making Karl feel good for a few hours, could Mary's gift be of any long term value?

4. Do you think Karl is ungrateful to not just accept Mary's gift and willingness to be kind to a stranger?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Define irony in literary terms. Discuss the irony of the situation whereby Mary thinks she is being good to Karl when he kills himself because of her actions. Find two other incidences of irony in Up at the Villa and discuss them.

2. Define symbolism in literary terms. Discuss the use of and meaning of five symbols found in Up at the Villa.

3. Discuss the use of foreshadowing in literature. What is the purpose of foreshadowing? Cite three examples of foreshadowing and how it is used to indicate events to come in Up at the Villa.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 988 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample