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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 William notice about Amy?

2. Where does money come from to Mrs. Grann?

3. How does Isabel respond to Ted's marriage?

4. Who is Mrs. Hudson?

5. What does William think should be abolished?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does William think about the House of Lords and how he would assign rank within literature?

2. What do Roy, Amy and William do when William arrives at Amy's home?

3. Describe how William encounters Rosie in New York?

4. Who are a couple other regulars at the Driffields' parties?

5. What does William say about Rosie's affairs and what are Amy and Roy's response?

6. Describe Ted's response to the fact that Rosie leaves him.

7. Why does Ted buy the house he buys and what does Amy do despite Ted fighting her about it?

8. Describe Roy's relationship with the Traffords.

9. How does William re-connect with the Driffields?

10. Describe the scene where William is talking to Hillier about painting Rosie.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rosie Driffield is a person and idea that weaves itself throughout the entire narrative. One might even say that the book is about Rosie rather than Ted or any other character. Discuss the following:

1. Discuss Rosie's character. What are her strengths and weaknesses? Is she presented as a well-rounded or flat character? What is she passionate about? Is she passionate about anything? Is she honest and sincere? Is this a woman that men and maybe some women would die for? Why or why not?

2. Does Rosie change from when she is revealed as a young woman to when she is older and William writes about meeting her again in New York? How is she the same? How is she different?

3. Rosie ignores the rather strict conventions of her day for women. She neither feels bound by convention nor feels the need to flaunt her behavior. Research and state the beliefs about women and expectations of behavior for women of this late Victorian era. How does Rosie fit or break those beliefs/expectations? Give specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 10, over dinner, the Vicar announces that the Driffields have bolted to London, abandoning their debts. Discuss the following:

1. How do Mary-Ann and Rosie's view of abandoning their debt coincide? Do you agree with their point of view? See chapter 13 for Rosie's point of view about the debt.

2. What do you think it says about the Driffields that they flee debts accrued? Do you think the fact that the debts are in a small town by small merchants changes the morality of it? Why or why not?

3. By the time Ted has been married to Amy for a while, William notes that Amy has reformed him from being a Bohemian. What is a Bohemian? Are Bohemians less reputable than a "normal" person? Would a Bohemian be more likely to abandon his/her debt? Explain your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Cakes and Ale is perhaps more of a character-driven plot rather than action-driven. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character-driven or action-driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character-driven versus action-driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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