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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. Whom does Fantine beg to look after her daughter as she seeks work in Part I – Fantine?

2. Jean Valjean tells the landlady at the Gorbeau House that Cosette is what in Book II of Part II – Cosette?

3. What is the name of the young law student with whom Fantine falls in love in Part I – Fantine?

4. What is the name of Cosette’s father in the novel?

5. When did Monsieur Madeleine become mayor of Montreuil?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jean Valjean escape from the dead-end alleyway in Book V of Part II – Cosette?

2. How has Jean Valjean changed after he’s been out of prison for two years in Part I – Fantine? How does Jean Valjean first encounter Fantine?

3. When and where does the narrative begin in Book I of Part I – Fantine? How is Bishop Myriel described?

4. How does Jean Valjean escape and reenter the convent in Book VIII of Part II – Cosette?

5. What was the significance of the Battle of Waterloo for the French, according to the narrator in Book I of Part II – Cosette?

6. What leads to Jean Valjean’s epiphany in Book II of Part I – Fantine? What does he realize?

7. How does Jean Valjean succeed in rescuing Cosette in Book III of Part II – Cosette?

8. Who does Jean Valjean meet in the garden in Book V of Part II – Cosette? Where has he met this character before?

9. What information is related from the character named Boulatruelle in Book II of Part II – Cosette?

10. In whose care does Fantine leave Cosette in Part I – Fantine? How is Cosette treated by these characters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Human Rights in Les Miserables

a. Discuss the ways that the author examines the treatment of the poor in Les Miserables. What kind of change does Victor Hugo call for in regards to the treatment of the poor?

b. How is the theme of human rights symbolized in Les Miserables? What characters in the story reflect this theme the most? How?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the trial of Champmathieu in Part I – Fantine. Why does this trial cause Jean Valjean internal conflict? What will occur if Valjean steps forward with his true identity? What will happen if he doesn’t?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the Society of the Rights of Man and its role in the Paris Uprising of 1832. Where did this secret society form? What were its beliefs? How does the Society of the Rights of Man compare with the Friends of the ABC in Les Miserables?

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