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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. How does Mr. Durant react to Rose's announcement that she will not return and does not want to see him again?

2. In the poem "Paths," with whom does the narrator walk?

3. What color dress does Mimi buy for her husband's leave?

4. How long has the Old Gentleman lived with the Bains?

5. How long does it take the young man to get his luggage stored in the train compartment?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the poems "Interview" and "Neither Bloody Nor Bowed" have in common?

2. Compare and contrast the poems "The Trifler" and "Braggart."

3. What does Mr. Durant's response to the dog reveal about him?

4. In the story "Dusk Before Fireworks," why does Kit try to pretend that she is not bothered by the attention that other women pay to Hobie?

5. Why does the woman in "The Waltz" agree to dance with the young man even though she does not want to?

6. What is the cause of the underlying tension between the young bride and the groom in "Here We Are"?

7. Describe the role of Mrs. Whittaker in the story "The Wonderful Old Gentleman."

8. Explain the irony in the poem "The False Friends."

9. What does Mr. Durant's reaction to Rose's situation and her departure reveal about him?

10. What trouble does the man in "You Were Perfectly Fine" create when he lies about remembering the taxi ride?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Abortion is a word that does not appear in Dorothy Parker's writing, yet it appears as a motif in several of her stories. Analyze the way in which Parker deals with this taboo in her stories. How does she introduce the topic? How does she make this detail clear to the reader? How does the event affect the characters involved? What do the stories reveal about Parker's perspective on abortion and how it affects the men and women involved?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Dorothy Parker's use of irony in both her short stories and her poetry. How do both genres approach similar themes? How does irony help to develop the themes? Be sure to provide examples from both short stories and poetry.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Dorothy Parker's writing style in her essays. How does this style compare to her short stories and poetry? How do her tone and word choice compare? What types of imagery does she use? How does her writing style influence the effectiveness of her essays? Be sure to include specific examples and quotations to support your observations.

(see the answer keys)

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