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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 does Mary realize about the gun?

2. What does the Princess ask Mary?

3. About what is Rowley concerned?

4. Where is Mary supposed to be at one o'clock?

5. Why does Rowley ask for the gun?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mary rush to her dresser to find and why?

2. How does Karl act when Mary pulls out the gun out of her purse?

3. What does the Princess learn about the violinist and what is her response?

4. How does Mary appear as she leaves for the luncheon?

5. Describe Karl's life in Austria.

6. What does Mary think about Rowley?

7. How does the situation between Mary and Karl start to deteriorate?

8. What does Rowley advise Mary to do before he leaves early that morning?

9. What does Mary do that causes Karl to become even more angry and what is Karl's reply?

10. What is the first way Rowley suggests they handle the situation and what is Mary's response?

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

Rowley isn't very favorably seen by his peers and Mary says that his biggest disgrace is that he's never had to work. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think it is harmful for someone to be "born into money"? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of such a situation?

2. What character traits of Rowley's do you think are directly or indirectly attributable to his never having to work and have all the money he needs/wants? Discuss fully using examples from the text.

3. Assuming you have not been born into the same type of situation as Rowley, do you think you would want to have been born into a very wealthy family that did not require you to earn a living? Why or why not.

4. What do you think Rowley should have been (could be) doing differently with his money that might be more positive--or is it positive enough to just want to enjoy life? Explain fully.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of Up at the Villa, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements (they may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not? Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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