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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Carr, what likely happened around the same time as Das Kapital was published?

2. What did Lenin do during a major famine in Russia?

3. What novel by Tolstoy does Lenin especially admire?

4. Which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta is not mentioned in the section?

5. In Lenin's poorly-remembered speech in this section, what does losing two revolutions look like?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Over the course of the play, many characters argue the virtues and vices of new art. Each of the major figures has a different view regarding art's place in society. Write an essay discussing these viewpoints, focusing on the four major characters of the play. What does each think about the role of art? What is the value of old art? What about new art like Dada? What lesson is art meant to impart to its audience?

Part 1) Henry Carr

Part 2) Tristan Tzara

Part 3) James Joyce

Part 4) Lenin

Essay Topic 2

In Travesties, the setting of Zurich is a central component of the story, creating a unique combination of peace and fervor. Write an essay about the role of Zurich in the play in three parts:

Part 1) At the beginning of the play Henry Carr speaks glowingly of life in Switzerland during the war. What does he love in particular about it? How is it a succor for someone who has been in the trenches?

Part 2) Joyce and Tzara both comment that Zurich has become the artistic center of Europe. What has brought so many creative souls to the city? What new and old art is being created?

Part 3) Zurich is also the home of political exiles. Describe the exiled leftist Russian government that holds regular gatherings in Switzerland. How do they plan the revolution from their exiled post?

Essay Topic 3

The central story of Travesties is a love story involving two couples, but it is driven in large part by the British desire to keep tabs on Lenin. Write an essay about Carr's mission to prevent Lenin's passage into Russia. How does he initially react to the assignment as related and elucidated by Bennett? Why does it bring him into contact with Cecily? In the end, why does Carr have such difficulty following through with his assignment?

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This section contains 422 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample