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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 is the narrator of "Sweet Violets" similar to the violets?

2. According to the poem " Two-Volume Novel," what has stopped the sun and moon from shining?

3. In "The Willow," during what month is the earth "sweet" and "young."

4. How long have Mr. and Mrs. Weldon been married in the story "Too Bad"?

5. Among the "Tombstones in the Starlight," whom does "The Very Rich Man" now entertain?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator of "Lady With a Lamp" make Mona feel worse rather than better?

2. How does Hazel Morse lose her own identity in her efforts to please others in the short story "Big Blonde"?

3. What is the complaint that is raised in the poem "Penelope"?

4. What kind of advice do the poems "Prologue to a Saga" and "The Lady's Reward" give to women?

5. Describe Mr. Cruger's attitude toward his daughter in the story "Horsie."

6. Compare the poems "Star Light, Star Bright--" and "Purposely Ungrammatical Love Song." How are they similar?

7. What story is told through the poem "There Was One"?

8. Explain the irony in "Ninon de Lenclos, On Her Last Birthday."

9. Explain the allusions in the poem "Guinevere At Her Fireside."

10. In "Soldiers of the Republic," what does the narrator learn about the life of a soldier?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Dorothy Parker's use of death imagery in both her short stories and her poetry. What purposes does this imagery serve? What themes do these images support? Be sure to use specific evidence and quotations to prove your observations.

Essay Topic 2

In many of Dorothy Parker's stories, relationships become strained because the characters do not speak honestly to one another. Instead, one character will say whatever he/she thinks the other wants to hear, or characters will skirt around a subject all together. Examine how this kind of dishonesty affects relationships in Parker's short stories. Be sure to include specific examples and quotations to support your observations.

Essay Topic 3

Social equality is a common theme in Dorothy Parker's work. Explain how she uses her short stories, poetry, and essays to attack racism and promote racial equality. Include specific examples and quotations to help support your points.

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