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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. How is Bathsheba described by the men who talk in whispers outside of Boldwood's home in the beginning of Chapter 53?

2. How has Troy lost a good deal of Bathsheba's money in Chapter 39?

3. For whom had Jacob served time in wait to marry her, according to the Biblical allusion in Chapter 49?

4. Who is described in Chapter 41 as "the goddess whom Bathsheba instinctively adored"?

5. Where does Bathsheba go to visit Liddy's sister in Chapter 31?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the atmosphere and mood established in Chapter 52?

2. How does Bathsheba respond to Mr. Boldwood’s marriage proposal in Chapter 51?

3. What is Troy’s response to the coffin and its contents in Chapter 43?

4. What is significant and symbolic about Troy’s grave in Chapter 56?

5. What is revealed in the conversation between Gabriel and Mr. Boldwood in Chapter 38?

6. What does Bathsheba assist Gabriel in doing in Chapter 37? Why?

7. What trick does Sergeant Troy play on Mr. Boldwood in Chapter 34?

8. Where does Bathsheba spend the night in Chapter 44? Why?

9. How is Bathsheba’s behavior described in Chapter 54?

10. How has the relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel changed at the end of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the social class system of Victorian England and the systems of class seen in Far from the Madding Crowd. How does social class differ in rural England from the cities? How do the characters in the story manage to change their places within this system?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of William Boldwood in the novel. How old is Mr. Boldwood when he is introduced? What is his occupation? How does Mr. Boldwood's character evolve in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Define the setting of "Wessex" and discuss the author's depictions of this setting in Far from the Madding Crowd. Upon what real locales are the towns and villages in the novel based? In what region of England is the story set? What is the time period of the novel?

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