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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. Which of the following authors do Van and Ada like?

2. When Demon sees Ada, what about her appearance can he not bear?

3. What is Marina, Demon, and Daniel's shared birthday?

4. What feature of Ada does Van most delight in?

5. Who walks in on Ada and Van making love?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Demon think of Marina's career as an actress?

2. What reason does Van give Marina for leaving?

3. How does Van feel about Marina?

4. What becomes of Ada's old governess?

5. What bad habit does Ana stop on her twelfth birthday?

6. How does Marina describe Jews to her daughter?

7. What does Van do, when Ada suggests he spank Lucette?

8. How does Van first see Ada?

9. How does Aqua kill herself?

10. What did Ada do when Dr. Krolik died?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss sexuality in the novel.

1) How and why is sexuality related to youth in the novel? How does sexuality change with age?

2) How does sexuality relate to love and affection in the novel? What do the characters expect from sex, and what does sex actually provide?

3) What role does sexual decadence, especially represented by the Villa Venus brothels, play in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss vanity in the novel.

1) Van is described in the novel as vain. Does Van love himself more than any other? Is he proud? What characterizes his vanity?

2) Is Van's vanity an essential element of his attraction to Ada? Is he attracted to her because of her similarities to himself?

3) What role does Van's vanity play in his career? How does it relate to his acrobatic show? How does it relate to his psychological/philosophical books?

Essay Topic 3

Van has a privileged life. Discuss privilege in the novel.

1) What freedoms does Van's wealth and status allow him? How would his life be different if he weren't wealthy?

2) How is it significant that Van has an independent inheritance from Aqua and is not dependent on Demon for money?

3) What is Van's perception of his position of privilege, and how does this perception change throughout his life, from youth to old age?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 680 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample