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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. Why does Yuri believe that Varykino would be a good place to resettle his family?

2. What stage of development does Pogorevshikh believe is a necessary for Russia's political development?

3. Why does Lara consider herself to be a bad person?

4. Why does Dr. Zhivago leave the front line and return to the hospital?

5. Why does Lara love Yuri?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Yuri's arrest.

2. Why would Dr. Zhivago work willingly near the front line of battle?

3. How does Yuri react when he sees Lara at the library?

4. Why might people exhibit extreme behavior during a time of war that they would not exhibit in peacetime?

5. Why does Lara enter a relationship with a much older man?

6. Why does Lara follow Pasha to the front lines?

7. How could Yuri's life have been different if he had not tried to return to Lara the night he was conscripted by the Red Army?

8. Describe some of the social classes of people who are on the train and how they interact with each other.

9. How do Yuri and his family get food and supplies for their trip to Varykino?

10. How does Lara attempt end her relationship with Komarovsky?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The characters in the book endure the strife of World War I as well as a civil war. Discuss how war affects their lives.

1) How does World War I affect the characters in the book? Cite specific examples.

2) How does the Russian Civil War affect the characters in the book? Cite specific examples.

3) How would Yuri and Lara's affair been different if there had been no war?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Yuri make such a small effort to reunite with his family in France? How does his action affect the development of his character? What internal and external motivators influence his actions? What affect does his action have on his relationship with Tonya and his children?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Christina's significance in the story. What could she symbolize? How might her actions have influenced the characters in the story?

(see the answer keys)

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