View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Hal arrives in Brighton after climbing out the window of Trepassen House, she goes straight to what area of her flat?

2. What year is included in all diary entries presented within the text?

3. Harding tells Hal in Chapter 34 that he has made an appointment with Mr. Treswick for which day?

4. Which character is NOT named as an executor of Hester Westaway's will?

5. What object does Hal find missing from her attic room when she goes upstairs in Chapter 33?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way do Hal's feelings of guilt nearly lead to her downfall in Chapter 39?

2. In Maggie's diary entry dated "11th December, 1994," (208) what action is Hester said to have taken after finding out about Maggie's pregnancy?

3. Which element of her late mother's behavior perplexes Hal the most, as depicted in Chapter 36?

4. What objects does Hal drop on the ground in Chapter 23 and what information about her is revealed to Ezra at that moment?

5. Describe an instance when Ware uses white space to intensify the impact of a particular sentence in the text.

6. What does Hal find out when she speaks with Lizzie?

7. What is the real reason why Hal takes the four-mile walk to St. Piran village in Chapter 34?

8. Who is Lizzie?

9. What special sadness does Ezra express to Hal about the death of his twin sister Maud?

10. How does the theme of self-deception arise within the narrative in Chapter 31 when Hal speaks to Harding from Brighton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose an object from The Death of Mrs. Westaway, such as the magpies, Maggie’s diary, or some other symbolic object and discuss its overall meaning and its connection to themes within the text.

Essay Topic 2

Write a critical essay about The Death of Mrs. Westaway while using the critical power theory lens of Marxist theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the novel's treatment of issues such as socioeconomic status, hierarchies, wealth, class, or any other issues related to Marxist theory that can be found in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Ware’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of The Death of Mrs. Westaway.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,618 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample