Exam Preparation (Short Story)

Sample Exam Questions After Diamelen’s death, Arsat, from Joseph Conrad’s “The Lagoon,” said, “I can see nothing.” The white man replies, “There is nothing.” How might this remark relate to the final line of the story? (“He stood lonely in the searching sunshine; and he looked beyond the great light of a cloudless day into the darkness of a world of illusions.”)

Sample Question #2 II. As expressed in “Of Boldness,” what seems to be Bacon’s opinion of bold human beings? What virtues might he value over boldness?

Sample Question #3 What kind of woman is Paul’s mother in “The Rocking-Horse Winner”? Characterize her as fully as you can. In what way does she contrast most notably from her son? Is her reaction to the news of the anonymous gift she receives in the mail consistent with the character as it is portrayed? Explain your answer.

Sample Question #4 Would a direct attack on English injustices have been more effective than Swift’s indirect attack in “The Modest proposal” that makes its point through irony? Explain your answer.