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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. Where do Edith and Stoner go on their honeymoon?

2. What is the name of the child Edith has?

3. How much money does Edith bring home from her father in Chapter VI?

4. Who does the protagonist not tell about his decision to change his course of study in college?

5. What does Stoner do with his doctoral thesis when it is finished?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Edith's father commit suicide?

2. What is the nature of the letter William receives from Edith after he proposes to her?

3. How do William and Edith buy their first house?

4. How is William described just before his wedding to Edith?

5. Why does William's father want him to study agriculture in college?

6. How is Edith described after she gives birth to Grace?

7. How is William's experience in his first English class described?

8. How is Sloane's funeral described?

9. How is William's early life on his family farm described for the first time in the book?

10. How is William's study of English described over the three years he studies at the University of Missouri?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of death is one that is portrayed through many characters in the book including David Masters, Archer Sloane, and eventually William Stoner. Considering the evolution of death through these three characters, what might the author be saying about the nature of death and its impact on others?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's portrayal of marriage in the book. What does William wish to get out of being married despite showing little passion for anything besides his education? Does he feel it's just a duty he must fulfill to fit in or does he truly find love in Edith?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the concept of confrontation presented in the book. How does William attempt to confront others in the book like Charles Walker and Edith and are these confrontations successful for him? What is telling of William's nature based on his tendency to not confront others despite being unhappy with certain situations?

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