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

2. Where is Karl sent?

3. What does the Princess ask Mary?

4. What does Mary say about Karl when asked?

5. What does he say she should do about her commitments that day?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the altercation between Karl and Mary resolve itself?

3. Where does Mary go and why is she relieved when she arrives there?

4. Describe Karl's life in Austria.

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

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

7. What is said between Rowley and Mary about Edgar and Mary's possible marriage to him?

8. How does Karl end up in a concentration camp and how does he get to Italy?

9. How does Mary feel about what Karl tells her about his life?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In chapter 8, Mary discusses her previous marriage with Matthew by saying that Matthew was charming, kind and fun until he was drinking and that even from the beginning she was distressed and ashamed of him when he went into drunken rages. Mary tells Rowley that she tried desperately to save Matthew from the drinking but that she couldn't, though sometimes they'd have horrible fights over it. Mary admits that she came to despise Matthew, knowing as she did about his secretive drinking and the affairs, but says she felt he was so dependent on her that she couldn't bring herself to end the marriage. Discuss the following:

1. Research and write a brief definition with examples of the term "co-dependent."

2. Do you think Mary is co-dependent with Matthew by the descriptions she gives of her behavior with him? Why or why not. Be sure to include specific examples to support your points.

3. In what other situations is Mary co-dependent? Be specific.

4. Do you think Mary is cured of her codependency by the end of the novel? 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

Maugham chooses to write the novel as a third person, impersonal narrator. Discuss the following:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this novel being written in the third person, impersonal narration?

2. Do you think the novel would be more effective in a different point of view? Which one if so? If not why do you think the impersonal narrator works the best?

3. Do you think the narrator in Up at the Villa is reliable, i.e., do you believe the narrator is completely unbiased? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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