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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. If he truly loved her, what would he not have to do?

2. What does she begin to do?

3. What does a teacher tell him will happen three days after he has died?

4. What does his teacher tell him to say?

5. Where is our protagonist?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does this scene open?

2. What does the girl tell the protagonist?

3. How does this section begin?

4. Why does Kathleen begin to cry?

5. What has happened to Kathleen?

6. Why is the protagonist not able to make love to the girl?

7. What is Eliezer's memory about the train station?

8. Where can Kathleen not reach the protagonist? How does she deal with this?

9. How does the section begin?

10. What does the doctor tell the protagonist?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel ends with the main character crying.

Part 1) For what is he shedding tears?

Part 2) Is he healed? Why or why not?

Part 3) Will his relationships with others be different now, after the destruction of the painting? Why or why not?

Part 4) Will he reconcile with Kathleen? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout this novel, the protagonist moves in and out of time.

Part 1) Give two examples of this. What is the purpose of this?

Part 2) How does this affect his relationship with others?

Part 3) Is this effective in showing the inner workings of the protagonist's mind? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Gyula destroys the portrait.

Part 1) Why does he destroy it? Does this help the main character? Why or why not?

Part 2) Would this tactic work with anyone suffering in the same way as the main character? Why or why not?

Part 3) Why does Gyula leave the ashes sitting in a pile? How do they affect the protagonist? Why do they affect him this way?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 888 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample