To the Lighthouse

1. When his father says the weather won’t permit a trip to the lighthouse, how does James feel?

A) disappointed that he can’t take the trip

B) violent towards his father

C) grateful that his father tells him the truth 

D) indifferent to the opinions of other

2. Which dichotomy best reflects the difference between Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay?

A) rationality/compassion

B) industriousness/laziness

C) indifference/love

D) ignorance/knowledge

3. Which best describes the similarity between James and Mr. Ramsay?

A) They both look for something to interest them.

B) They both feel superior to everyone else in the house.

C) They both crave the attention of Mrs. Ramsay.

D) They both believe that acting is better than thinking.

4. Which archetype best categorizes Lily Briscoe?

A) the sage

B) the mother

C) the heroine

D) the artist

5. Which best describes Mrs. Ramsay’s feelings about her children?

A) They are at the happiest points of their lives.

B) They are miniature adults requiring little attention.

C) She is annoyed at the time they take from her own thoughts.

D) She wishes they would do more to help take care of the guests.

6. Which best describes the tone of the second part of the novel, “Time Passes”?

A) pessimistic

B) mysterious

C) elegiac

D) stoic

7. Whose actions most dominate the scenes in the second part of the novel, “Time Passes”?

A) soldiers

B) domestic workers

C) the Ramsay children

D) Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay

8. How does the condition of the Ramsay house in the second part of the novel, “Time Passes,” reflect World War I? (short answer)

9. Which characters die unexpectedly during the second part of the novel, “Time Passes”?

A) Prue Ramsay, William Bankes, and Lily Briscoe

B) Mrs. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe, and Andrew Ramsay

C) Andrew Ramsay, Mrs. Ramsay, and Prue Ramsay

D) Mr. Ramsay, Mrs. Ramsay, and Prue Ramsay

10. Which statement best reflects a theme suggested by the events of the second part of the novel, “Time Passes”?

A) The forward movement of time brings death and renewal.

B) Modern technology brings hope for a better society.

C) Those who fixate on the past can never move forward.

D) War is a destructive force that nevertheless produces heroism.

11. How many years separate the events of Part I of the novel from Part III?

A) five

B) ten

C) fifteen

D) twenty

12. What does Lily feel that Mr. Ramsay wants from her that she can’t give?

A) sexual attention

B) pragmatic advice

C) financial assistance

D) attentive sympathy

13. Who does not make the trip to the lighthouse in Part III?

A) Lily

B) Cam

C) James

D) Mr. Ramsay

14. How do Cam’s feelings on the boat reflect events in Part I?

A) Like Mrs. Ramsay, she desires to soothe her father.

B) Like Mr. Ramsay, she feels misunderstood.

C) Like James, she feels some resentment to her father.

D) Like Mrs. Ramsay, she aims to comfort.

15. What state is Lily’s painting in at the end of Part III, and what does it suggest about her? (short answer)