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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 tell Karl the reason she has sex with him?

2. What else does Mary have to consider about Karl's death?

3. How does Mary explain sleeping so late?

4. What does Karl do after laying Mary on the bed and kissing her repeatedly?

5. What is the Princess going to do about getting Karl fired?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Princess say about the party from the previous evening?

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

3. Why does Mary call Rowley?

4. What does Rowley point out to Mary to reassure her?

5. Describe Karl's life in Austria.

6. Describe the scene of Mary and Rowley getting rid of Karl's body.

7. What startles Mary soon after Karl kills himself?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

2. Analyze and discuss Up at the Villa based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1 and judge if Up at the Villa is a successful novel.

3. Is Up at the Villa a novel you would recommend to a friend? Why or why not? Explain.

4. Can a novel be successful and yet many readers not enjoy it? Explain your response.

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

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.

(see the answer keys)

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