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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. At school, what does Nancy repeatedly do?

2. Of her mother and father, whom does Nancy prefer?

3. In the Ashburnham marriage there is a dispute as to how any potential Ashburnham children should be raised. What is the nature of this dispute?

4. In Part 3, Chapter 2, it's mentioned that Nancy Rufford had once been knocked unconscious. For how many days was she unconscious?

5. In the witness box, while defending himself during the Kilsyte case, what does Captain Edward Ashburnham realize?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part 3, Chapter 4, John Dowell describes many unfortunate circumstances that contributed to the downfall of the Ashburnham marriage. With John's sympathetic portrait of the Ashburnhams in mind, do you think unfortunate circumstances are to blame for the destruction of the Ashburnham marriage or are the Ashburnhams themselves to blame for its downfall?

2. Of what significance is the discovery that John Hurlbird's heart disease was a misdiagnosis?

3. What must Nancy reject in order to make her decision to meet her mother in Glasgow?

4. Given Captain Edward Ashburnham's adulterous history, why does Leonora Ashburnham send Edward and Nancy to a concert together?

5. Do you agree with John Dowell when he says that Captain Edward Ashburnham does not feel remorse?

6. Describe the fight that takes place in Part 4, Chapter 2, between Leonora Ashburnham, Nancy Rufford, and Captain Edward Ashburnham?

7. How has Captain Edward Ashburnham changed since his youth?

8. Do you think Nancy is a good judge of character?

9. Is Leonora Ashburnham a sympathetic character?

10. Does Leonora Ashburnham approve of the affair between Captain Edward Ashburnham and Maisie Maidan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Part 1, Chapter 2, John tells a folktale about a wife, known as a she-wolf, who betrays her husband for a poet who pretends to be an emperor. How does this folktale relate to John's story? How does the folktale parallel John's marriage? Does Florence have any she-wolf qualities? How might Edward be like the poet in the folktale?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast The Good Soldier's two male main characters, Edward Ashburnham and John Dowell. Are either of these characters more of a "man" than the other? Of these two characters, who does Ford seem to sympathize with the most? What qualities make either of these characters more sympathetic than the other? If Ford does indeed elevate John over Edward, or vice versa , what does his preference imply about the overall message of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

It seems as though both the Dowell's marriage and the Ashburnham's marriage is dominated by women. Leonora Ashburnham is in control of both the Ashburnham estate and Edward's personal life. Florence, on the other hand, is at the center of the Dowell marriage--her illness becomes the fulcrum of their relationship as John assumes the charge of nurse and takes care of her every need. Assess the Dowell's and Ashburnham's female-dominated marriages. Does having a female head of house help, hinder or have no effect on their marriages? Does John's narration criticize dominance in women? Is Ford's portrayal of Florence and Leonora positive, negative or indifferent? What, if anything, does Ford's portrayal of Florence and Leonora say about his attitude toward dominant women?

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