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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. Who buys the group from Wenceslas?

2. What financial difficulty do the Marneffes face?

3. What reason does Lisbeth give Wenceslas to convince him not to write to anyone from jail about his predicament?

4. What is the difference in age between Monsieur Crevel and Monsieur Hulot?

5. What does Lisbeth bring home to her admirer from the dinner parties she attends?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the Baroness summon Monsieur Crevel? Which of Monsieur Crevel's actions have affected the Baroness? Why has he acted this way?

2. Whom does Wenceslas see when he returns home? Whom does he say has purchased his bronze group and offered him work?

3. What does Lisbeth tell Hortense and Adeline has happened to Wenceslas? How does Hortense react? How is Bette's lie discovered?

4. Where does Monsieur Grasset take Wenceslas? Why does this happen to the young artist?

5. Describe Lisbeth. How old is she? How does she dress? How does this affect her social standing in comparison to her cousin, the Baroness?

6. How does Lisbeth describe her relationship with Wenceslas to Valerie Marneffe? What proof of his connection to Hortense does Valerie show to Lisbeth?

7. What information about Wenceslas' professional life does Valerie give to Lisbeth? What information about Wenceslas' personal life does she give Lisbeth? How does Lisbeth react to this news?

8. How does Lisbeth meet Wenceslas in the first place? What is the relationship between them after this first meeting?

9. Who is Valerie Marneffe's father? Why does she inherit nothing upon his death?

10. With whom does Lisbeth discuss the Baron's fascination with Valerie Marneffe? According to Lisbeth, what has Baron Hulot done to win her favor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the narrator of Cousin Bette. In what mode is the story narrated? How does this affect the major themes of the novel? How does the narrator relate to literary realism?

Essay Topic 2

How is irony manifested in Cousin Bette? Choose two examples of irony from the text and explain their classification and significance. How does the use of irony affect the tone of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of social class in Cousin Bette? How does this theme affect the relationship between the characters and advance the plot of the novel? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

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