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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 big is Boris' room?

2. How many hours do the staff work in the evening?

3. What kind of children does Charlie say Yvonne had?

4. Who are the lowest paid workers at the hotel?

5. What do the narrator and Boris do to their cheeks to make themselves look respectable?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the narrator's routine as a plongeur.

2. Why does the narrator believe that people are kept in poverty?

3. How does Charlie save the day in chapter 18?

4. Describe the story Charlie tells in the second chapter?

5. What does the narrator say are his best and worst days working at the hotel?

6. In what way does the narrator's life get better in chapter 17?

7. Describe the ghetto where the narrator lives.

8. Describe the story Valenti tells in chapter 15.

9. What decision does Boris make in chapter 7?

10. In what way does the narrator claim the restaurant is successful in chapter 21?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Down and Out in Paris and London is a semi-autobiographical novel, adhering to the rule, writers should always write about what they know. Do you think it is obvious that Orwell knows his subject? What difference do you think it makes to the story? Are there any moments where you think Orwell does not portray a character or setting so well? What affect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 2

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Orwell use character and dialogue to drive the narrative.

2) Discuss elements of the narrative structure: Exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the novel's themes?

3) Besides from the main character examine the way Orwell uses the other characters in the story. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 3

Compare the two cities of Paris and London.

1) What are the similarities and differences between the two cities?

2) Why were Paris and London seen as such a haven for writers and artists in the 1930's?

3) Was the poverty represented in these two cities unique to London and Paris or representative of all of Europe at that time?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 780 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample