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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. Fred is most upset that the debt he owes to Mr. Garth has hurt whom?

2. Chapter 15 provides a brief biography of which character?

3. Why do the Vincys change their family doctor?

4. The men on the board of the hospital meet to vote on the new chaplain. The vote is a tie between which characters?

5. Lydgate's reputation is bolstered when his medical advice is sought by whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the Vincys get a new family doctor?

2. Why does Casaubon propose to Dorothea?

3. How does the situation of the Garth family change in Chapter 40?

4. After the reading of the will, how does Mr. Vincy feel about Rosamond's marrying Lydgate?

5. What happens on the night of Featherstone's death?

6. What are the objections that the men of Middlemarch express about the way Lydgate practices medicine?

7. What does Rosamond admire about Lydgate?

8. What do Dorothea and Will talk about during Will's visit?

9. Why does Lydgate visit Lowick in Chapter 42?

10. What do Featherstone's two wills state?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the political system in Middlemarch, and compare it with the politics of a small town today. What changes have been made, and why do you think they occurred? Are there any similarities? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

There are many examples of symbolism in the novel; for examples, the keys Featherstone is holding when he dies, Fred's horse, and so on. Analyze the author's use of these symbols and what their use contributes to the novel as a whole. Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

At the end of the novel, the author compares Dorothea to Faithful of Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress." As the main character of the novel, what resemblance does Dorothea bear to this character? Is it an appropriate comparison? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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