View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How was the god Mercury involved in the Sisyphus story?
(a) He swapped roles with him.
(b) He impregnated Sisyphus's wife when in the guise of a swan.
(c) He interceded on Sisyphus's behalf.
(d) He led Sisyphus forcibly back to the underworld.

2. How does Camus classify regret?
(a) As mere sentimentality.
(b) As another form of hope.
(c) As sin.
(d) As being akin to grief, therefore dangerous.

3. What is a consequence of love?
(a) The stronger the love, the less absurd it is.
(b) Marriage and children.
(c) The stronger the love, the stronger the absurdity.
(d) It is impossible to assess because every relationship is different.

4. Who is the protagonist in The Trial?
(a) Oscar W.
(b) Michael K.
(c) K. M. Joseph.
(d) Joseph K.

5. What is a characteristic of wisdom?
(a) Knowing when to take things on trust, as well as when not to.
(b) Living with faith and integrity and reserving judgement.
(c) Living on what one has, not speculating about what one does not have.
(d) Being able to supply a rationale for any action.

Short Answer Questions

1. What phenomenon can humans have no experience of?

2. What temptation does Camus suggest is hardest to overcome?

3. What does Homer have to say about Sisyphus?

4. What assertions are always false?

5. What would be a synonym for the phrase 'fecund rumination' (p. 93 of the Penguin Edition)?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Camus view the novel as an artistic endeavor?

2. What is absurd man and how can he deal with his predicament?

3. In mentioning the Diary (p. 100 of the Penguin edition), to what does Camus draw attention?

4. Why is Sisyphus completely appropriate as the absurd hero?

5. According to the quotation from Nietzsche, what vital function is performed by art?

6. What is Camus' basic criticism of phenomenology?

7. What does Nietzsche mean when he says 'Great problems are in the street'?

8. What does humanity need to do in order to understand the world?

9. What is Camus' attitude to Galileo?

10. What important feature of Dostoevsky's work does Camus explore in the section entitled 'Kirilov'?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 942 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample