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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. After Edith is taken away, what does the butler ask Hofmiller to do?

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

3. What surprising thing does Edith do as Hofmiller is about to leave her room?

4. What is Balinkay's relationship with Hofmiller's regiment?

5. Who tells Hofmiller's friends that he is engaged to Edith?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Edith's suggested solution when Hofmiller convinces her that he cannot afford the trip to the sanitarium?

2. What happens at the end of the book to make Hofmiller realize he'll never be free of his guilt?

3. What does Dr. Condor tell Hofmiller about the nature of pity?

4. How does Hofmiller react when Edith angrily asks why he bothers coming to see her and her family?

5. Why does Hofmiller initially refuse Kekesfalva's request that he marry Edith in return for Kekesfalva giving him his entire fortune?

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

7. Describe Dr. Condor's feelings about his marriage to Klara.

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

9. Why is Hofmiller unable to commit to accompanying Edith and her family to the sanitarium?

10. Why is Hofmiller so willing to go to war after Edith's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role money plays in the lives of Hofmiller, Kekesfalva and Edith. How do their attitudes toward money differ? From where did those attitudes come? How does money affect their relationships with each other?

Essay Topic 2

Hofmiller's relationship with Herr Kekesfalva and his family begins with a simple dinner invitation, but by the end of the book, it has had a dramatic effect on the lives of all the primary characters. Discuss the evolution of his relationship with the family. Why does it change so quickly? How does Hofmiller's personality lead him into such a complex relationship with the family?

Essay Topic 3

How and why does Hofmiller try to keep his friendship with the Kekesfalva family separate from his life with his friends and fellow soldiers? How does it affect what transpires in his relationship with the family? Cite and discuss at least one specific example from the first half of the book and one from the second half.

(see the answer keys)

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