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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 does Charles Langelet feel about the young couple that he meets?

2. What does a passing soldier offer to Florence?

3. Who will evacuate the children of the Children's Home in place of the director?

4. What character is introduced in Chapter 13?

5. What ultimately happens to Father Philippe at the end of Chapter 25?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the conversation between Hortense, Jules, and Aline, what are their feelings toward the rich?

2. What is the feeling of the townspeople when the Germans finally arrive in the town where Arlette Corail is staying?

3. Describe the scene between Corbin and the Michauds concerning their voyage to Tours. What does Corbin threaten the Michauds with if they do not meet him in Tours?

4. Describe the feelings of Hubert Pericand about the war between Germany and France.

5. What does Hubert find when he arrives to join in the fight on the Allier River?

6. In the opening of the novel, what is happening in Paris and what are the attitudes of the citizens?

7. Why do the orphans turn on Father Philippe so violently?

8. Describe the Michauds.

9. Describe the character of Charles Langelet.

10. What does the elder Monsieur Pericand dictate in his will to the notary?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lucile Angellier and Bruno von Falk are young people falling in love under the worst circumstances imaginable. Lucile is a Frenchwoman, married to a French soldier prisoner of war, and Bruno is a German soldier, the enemy of the French. Describe the relationship between Lucile and Bruno. How is the relationship affected by the war? What are the difficulties and challenges they face after they realize that they are in love with one another? Why is a relationship between the two impossible and how does their friendship end?

Essay Topic 2

In the beginning of the novel, the many different characters introduced in the novel appear to only have in common their terrible plight of living and trying to survive in France during the German attack and subsequent occupation during World War II. However, as the novel progresses, many of these characters cross paths and affect the lives of other characters. Describe some of these instances where characters' paths cross. How do these seemingly unconnected characters affect each others' lives either in small or in big ways? How does this affect the novel? What does this tell us about the world in general?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the attitudes of the poor toward the rich. These attitudes are largely expressed through Hortense Gaillard and her traveling party and the other servants of the novel. What are these people's opinions of the rich? Does the fact that they work for the rich factor into their opinions? Do the poor have a harder time making it during the war? Provide examples.

(see the answer keys)

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