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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 do Market and Karel tell each other when they move out of his parents' home?

2. What happens to Mirek and his son?

3. What does Marketa do for the Easter weekend?

4. Why does Mirek initially become involved with Zdena?

5. What does Mirek say about Zdena's age?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Marketa meet Eva and how does the relationship evolve to include Karel?

3. What is the difference between how Mama views memory versus how Karel and Marketa do?

4. What is the meaning of laughter in part 3?

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

6. What is upsetting about Mama's visit and why doesn't Marketa do anything about it?

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

8. What happens that embarrasses Mama?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Part 4, Kundera describes graphomania, which is the obsessive drive to write a book. In order for this condition to exist, the people in the society must have an elevated sense of well-being, an absence of dramatic events in their life and a general isolation between individuals. Discuss the following:

1. Research the term graphomania and explain it fully.

2. Do you think all writers suffer from graphomania?

3. From what compulsion do writers that do not come from countries with the conditions listed above write?

4. Do you think Kundera suffers from graphomania?

Essay Topic 2

In Part 1, the concept of lost letters and their connection to a person's past is an important theme to the novel, as well as a strong foreshadowing of what is to transpire between Tamina and other characters in the novel. Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Discuss the way the letters represent a power struggle between Mirek and Zdena and what one of them loses who lose the power struggle.

2. Discuss how the letters Mirek seeks from Zdena are unimportant compared to the letters the police find at his house. What are the implications about Mirek and the choices he makes concerning the letters? Is Mirek irresponsible?

3. Discuss how the trip for Mirek to recover his letters from Zdena is a reflection of the larger pursuit that the main character Tamina will undertake in future chapters.

Essay Topic 3

In Part 3, "The Angels," Kundera is hired to write astrology columns for a political magazine after he is banned from working by the government. While on the job, he is asked to give the personal astrological reading of a Communist in secret. He gives him the "reading" and the editor of the magazine tells him the powerful man becomes a much nicer, softer man after reading it. Discuss the following:

1. How do you think Kundera's story about astrology fits in with the rest of this novel?

2. Why do you think an astrology reading changes a man? Do you think this is a true anecdote?

3. Do you think Kundera is suggesting that astrology has as much a reason for what happens in the political arena of Czechoslovakia as anything else? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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