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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. In "Light of Love," which lover knows the narrator best?

2. In "The New Love," how does the narrator regard her new lover?

3. In the poem "The Trifler," who would the narrator like to take as a lover?

4. In the poem "Hearthside," what does the narrator dream of?

5. In the story "You Were Perfectly Fine," what time did the pale young man get up out of bed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the irony in the end of the short story "The Waltz"?

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

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

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

5. Why is Mimi upset by her husband's compliment about her black dress in "The Lovely Leave"?

6. 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?

7. How might Mrs. Martindale solve Mrs. Wyman's problem and her own at the same time?

8. In "The Standard of Living," why does Midge become so upset over Annabel's imaginary purchase of a silver fox coat, and what does her reaction suggest about her personality?

9. How does the woman in "Arrangement in Black and White" characterize her husband?

10. What message about love is conveyed by the poem "A Very Short Song"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the influence that Dorothy Parker's socialist perspective has on her writing, in particular her later writing. Be sure to include specific examples and quotations from several different pieces in order to support your points.

Essay Topic 2

Some of Dorothy Parker's short stories follow a traditional story format of narrative and dialogue, while others rely simply on one-sided dialogue. Examine these two different approaches to storytelling and evaluate the effectiveness of each. What does Parker achieve by only giving one side of the conversation in some stories? Why might some stories require more complete description? How might the stories be different if she chose a different approach? Be sure to provide specific examples and quotations when appropriate.

Essay Topic 3

Many of Dorothy Parker's characters are careless of others and sometimes even of themselves. Examine these careless characters and the effects that their behavior has on others and themselves. What observation does Parker seem to make through these characters? Support your points with specific examples and quotations from the text.

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