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

Short Answer Questions

1. Esther is afraid that Miss Barbary rejected Boythorn because ___________.

2. Esther's illness has resulted in ___________.

3. Caddy begins to feel better under the care of ___________.

4. George refuses to get a lawyer and wants to defend himself because ___________.

5. Vohles assures Richard that ___________.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the use of flowers in Bleak House. Dickens employs flowers several times in very specific, symbolic ways. Examine the symbolism and determine if there is a common thread in the instances where flowers appear.

Essay Topic 2

There is much intrigue and undelivered communication that makes the plot of Bleak House complex and, at times, confusing. Examine in an essay all the ways in which Dickens portrays the dangers of mixed messages and miscommunication in Bleak House.

Essay Topic 3

A "beadle" was something of a cross between a police officer and church official. Research the role of beadles in England in the 1800s. How did society view them at that time? It is helpful to re-read Chapter 11 of Bleak House about the beadle's arrival at Krook House at the time of Nemo's death.

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