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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. Who was Dorothy teamed with professionally that turned into a short, but unsuccessful affair?

2. What did Dorothy think about her position at Vogue?

3. Who did Dorothy move in with for the summer of 1925?

4. What year was Dorothy born?

5. Where did Dorothy's brothers work?

Short Essay Questions

1. The New Yorker survived it's first year of publication for many reasons. What did Dorothy do to contribute to the magazine? Why was this a problem for Dorothy that she doesn't realize?

2. During 1914, Dorothy found herself on a new path in life with a job and living on her own in a boarding house. She didn't possess the common personality traits that most girls her age possess, how did this help her in getting what she wanted during her new life? What did she do that exemplified those traits?

3. Everyone that was part of the Alogonquin Round Table had something particular in common. What made Dorothy stand out? Who was protected from her uniqueness?

4. How did the deaths of her mother and step-mother effect Dorothy's view of herself and her life?

5. What did Dorothy and the other Round Table members do in the spring of 1922 that was different from their meetings and occasional poker games?

6. What did Dorothy involve herself in that radicalized her?

7. Due to failing health, Robert Benchley was advised to either quit commuting to work and slow down or rent an apartment in the city. Benchley chose to get an apartment in the city and take a roommate. What changed about Benchley's life were significant? How did Dorothy feel about this new phase in Benchley's life?

8. When Dorothy was 11, she read Vanity Fair and found herself connecting with Becky Sharp, the book's anti-heroine. How did Dorothy's choice of role model effect her life?

9. Because she didn't like her step-mother and wasn't satisfied with her life, what did Dorothy do that caused her torment for the rest of her life?

10. As the youngest child, Dorothy was faced with the responsibility of caring for her father, Henry, when she returned home from Mrs. Dana's Boarding school. This period lasted for six years, during that time several things happened that caused great harm to Henry, what were those events and what were their effects?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dorothy struggled with a lifetime of failed relationships and depression. During the early 1920's she tried to commit suicide. Why didn't her friends think she was capable of going through with the act and why did they assume she tried?

Essay Topic 2

What about Dorothy's involvement in the Communist party stood out? Did Dorothy know everything she needed to know about the groups she involved herself in? Was she fully aware of what the Communist party stood for?

Essay Topic 3

What was the overall theme of Dorothy Parker's life? What about her childhood set the tone for her life and how did she use her childhood experiences as fuel for her writing? Use examples from the book and your own thoughts.

(see the answer keys)

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