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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. Arnheim mentions in Chapter 96 the importance of what?

2. Who is Count Leinsdorf?

3. What effect does Arnheim's family business have on his relationship with General Stumm in Chapter 89?

4. Who receives an invitation from Diotima in Chapter 80?

5. What does Arnheim end up doing in Chapter 86?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Goethe, and how does Arnheim feel about him as described in Chapter 96?

2. What is revealed about Georg in Chapter 97?

3. What do Ulrich and General Stumm think about intellect, as revealed by their conversation in Chapter 85?

4. What situation regarding an invitation develops in Chapter 80?

5. What is the author's digression in relation to the forces of nature in Chapter 75?

6. What point does the author make in Chapter 88 about the value of books?

7. What do Ulrich and Gerda's parents talk about in Chapter 73?

8. How did Soliman meet Rachel?

9. What does the author say in Chapter 77 about losing one's sense of reality?

10. What information is given about Gerda in Chapter 73?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Diotima and her husband are at the pinnacle of the middle class, but they are still middle class. Why does she still have the privilege of associating with wealthy people like Arnheim? How does her unique position affect her attitude toward those with whom she associates, and why? How is she viewed by other aristocrats who either have more money, or made it by investing or inheriting it, and not by working for a living?

Essay Topic 2

This novel was written in the early 20th century, yet many of its themes are still pertinent in today's society. How would today's readers interpret some of these issues differently? What are some significant changes that have occurred since the novel was written which would affect the way readers interpret it? What are some ideas or themes which are no longer relevant, and why aren't they?

Essay Topic 3

Ulrich and Gerda almost have an affair, but because they feel pressured, not because either of them really wants to. What message regarding social pressure is the author trying to convey with this interaction? Who was pressuring Ulrich and Gerda? What initially caused them to want to have an affair? What caused them to change their minds? What ramifications might this affair have had, and why?

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