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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. What happens when Hofmiller is unable to concentrate while he's on duty?

2. What happens to Kekesfalva after Edith's death?

3. The book he is reading prompts Hofmiller to wonder if he is strong enough to do what?

4. What kind of advice does Hofmiller seek from Balinkay?

5. Why does Hofmiller initially believe he'll never have to marry Edith?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Hofmiller surprised by the loving relationship between Dr. Condor and his wife?

2. What are Ilona's feelings about the situation between Edith and Hofmiller once Edith's love for him has been revealed?

3. Why does Hofmiller see suicide as the only solution to his problems?

4. What prompts Hofmiller to turn away from the idea of leaving the military and taking a job with Balinkay?

5. Why does Hofmiller think it's his fault that Edith has fallen in love with him?

6. Why does Dr. Condor think that if Hofmiller runs away from his situation with Edith, he will essentially be committing murder?

7. Why does Hofmiller not admit that he has exaggerated the potential for the new treatment to cure Edith?

8. At one point in the book's last section, Hofmiller believes he has resolved his dilemma by agreeing to marry Edith if she recovers from her disability, believing that it will never be an issue because she won't recover. What does Edith do to burst his bubble?

9. How does Edith use the threat of suicide in an attempt to influence Hofmiller?

10. How does an unforeseen and unrelated political event lead to Edith's suicide?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the relationship between honor and deceit in Hofmiller's life. In what ways does he show that honor is important to him? How does he betray his own sense of honor through his actions with regard to Edith?

Essay Topic 2

Edith is a very complex character and often behaves in contradictory ways. Discuss some of those contradictions, including how she seems to feel and behave with regard to her disability and her feelings toward Hofmiller.

Essay Topic 3

Examine foreshadowing in "Beware of Pity". How were important events in the book foreshadowed, including Edith's suicide, Kekesfalva's death and the disastrous results of Hofmiller's pity for the family?

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