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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. After Winnie's mother has moved, Mrs. Verloc attempts to convey her concerns that Stevie will soon become depressed. Mr. Verloc tells her to bring in a neighbor woman to assist her because he will be where?

2. Where does the Assistant Commissioner go after leaving his office early in the evening of the Greenwich Park blast?

3. On the evening of Stevie's death, when Winnie goes upstairs, what does her husband think she is going to do?

4. What is Stevie's reaction when he later talks to the cab driver and learns of his plight in caring for four children and wife while having to do cab work at night?

5. What is Mr. Verloc's reaction to his mother-in-law's decision to move out?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does the assistant commissioner go for his evening meal and what catches his attention?

2. What does Mrs. Verloc's sibling do when a cab driver whips his horse on the ride over to the charity home? Why does her sibling reaction in this way?

3. What three things surprise Mr. Verloc upon his return from his ten days away?

4. What name does Mrs. Verloc refer to Ossipon by and why does it excite him?

5. At the beginning of Chapter 10, which fish are used in the discussion concerning the level of importance of the political figure to be caught?

6. Describe what Mrs. Verloc's mother is doing at the start of Chapter 8 and what is motivating her?

7. What is Mr. Verloc's disposition at the beginning of Chapter 9?

8. What exchange takes place between Mr. and Mrs. Verloc on the afternoon he returns from his out-of-country trip, when he announces he is interested in taking a walk?

9. Describe what is compared to the sound of an insane clock at the conclusion of Chapter 11?

10. What is the assistant commissioner watching at the conclusion of Chapter 7 and what does he observe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Some of the characters in Conrad's novel are not whom they initially seem to be. Some are harder than they might have at first appeared, others not quite as cold or callous. Take four characters and examine how they are different by the end of the tale than at first encountered. Describe the individual's outlook and view of the world and what motivates them to change.

Essay Topic 2

Conrad establishes scenes by laying out in great detail the stage setting upon which the scene will take place. For instance, in Chapter 1 he provides an extensive description of the front window and entrance to the Verloc's pornography shop. In Chapter 4 he delivers a virtual snapshot of the Silenus beer-hall where Ossipon encounters the professor. Discuss how Conrad uses this technique to establish settings in which scenes take place.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 2, the reader discovers Mr. Verloc is a secret agent and later discovers he has been an informant. Examine in detail this and other instances of how Conrad approaches the theme of loyalty.

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