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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. What does Mary realize about the gun?

2. What changes Karl's life?

3. What does Karl's landlady know about Karl just before his disappearance?

4. Who is Agata?

5. Where is Mary when she receives a telegram?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the situation between Mary and Karl start to deteriorate?

2. What are Mary's thoughts as she is getting read to go to the luncheon?

3. How does Karl end up in a concentration camp and how does he get to Italy?

4. What does Mary rush to her dresser to find and why?

5. What does Nina relate to Mary about what Nina learns from Agata?

6. What does the Princess say about the party from the previous evening?

7. What startles Mary soon after Karl kills himself?

8. Where does Mary go and why is she relieved when she arrives there?

9. How does Mary feel about what Karl tells her about his life?

10. What does the Princess learn about the violinist and what is her response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Maugham chooses to write the novel as a third person, impersonal narrator. Discuss the following:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this novel being written in the third person, impersonal narration?

2. Do you think the novel would be more effective in a different point of view? Which one if so? If not why do you think the impersonal narrator works the best?

3. Do you think the narrator in Up at the Villa is reliable, i.e., do you believe the narrator is completely unbiased? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

There are a number of interesting questions raised by this book--questions that Maugham may have wanted the readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the author's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Maugham's probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

Essay Topic 3

Titles are thought to be very important in both giving the reader a clue about the story and enticing one to read a book. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think Up at the Villa is the chosen title for this novel?

2. Do you think this title would entice you to read this novel? Why or why not?

3. Do you think this rather nondescript title reflects the story it heralds? Explain your response using examples from the book.

4. If you had to title this novel in order to encourage more readers, what would you name it and why?

(see the answer keys)

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