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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 upsets Marketa about her mother-in-law?

2. To whom does Mirek lie about the reasons he becomes involved with Zdena?

3. What does Karel do on the phone?

4. What is Klement Gottwald doing?

5. Where is Marketa's ten-year-old son on Easter?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mirek want his old love letters back from Zdena and do you think his goal is possible?

2. What do Kundera and other students do around 1948 and why? Do you think Kundera is speaking metaphorically or actuality.

3. How does Kundera's loss of his friends in the dancing circle affect him later?

4. What is it that Marketa does not know about Eva and do you think Marketa would care at this point if she learned this?

5. What does Mirek think of Zdena when they first meet and then become lovers?

6. What is Zdena response to Mirek's request for his letters and do you think she is being fair to Mirek?

7. What is remembered about Clementis?

8. What happens when Karel receives a phone call and how is the outcome ironic?

9. What does Marketa contemplate doing with Eva near the end of the chapter?

10. What happens when Mirek arrives back home and how is this somewhat ironic?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The final chapter, "Borders," seems to suggest the idea of borders through repetition. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think this chapter is titled "Borders"?

2. Does the concept of borders appear in each chapter? Explain with examples.

3. Do you think there is a reason Kundera titles the last chapter "Borders" as opposed to any other chapter in the book? Explain fully.

4. How is the concept of borders related to that of repetition? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

In Part 3, "The Angels," it says that in 1948, Kundera was involved in the political parties of his time and "danced in a ring." Then he is asked to leave the ring for saying the wrong thing. Kundera watches the dancing with envy and in his recollection, Eluard stands in a ring with other students eventually dancing their way into the sky as they float away, happily, above Kundera's head. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think is the connection between being involved in political parties and dancing in a ring?

2. Is the ring a metaphor for belonging? Explain.

3. What do you think Kundera means when he says the students eventually dance their way into the sky as they float away, happily, above Kundera's head?

Essay Topic 3

In Part 4, the main character (as deemed by Kundera later in the novel) is introduced. She is one of the two or three fictionalized characters that Kundera assumes are born every second on earth. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think Kundera means by the statement above?

2. Do you think Kundera is advocating for or against writers and the characters they create? Explain fully.

3. If Tamina is a fictionalized character, do you think she is a symbol of some concept in Kundera's experiences? What do you think she represents? Explain fully.

4. Kundera thinks of Tamina as the main character. Why do you think he sees her as the main character? Of what--the book? A couple parts of the book?

(see the answer keys)

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