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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 is Strelnikov's secret identity?

2. The book begins with what type of scene?

3. What are Yuri's primary concerns during the winter?

4. When the Russian economy collapses, how do the citizens cope with the lack of food and supplies?

5. Several conflicts are present in the book. Which struggle best describes the conflict between the warring political parties?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Yuri choose to take his family to Varykino?

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

3. What is in Yuri's notebook?

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

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

6. Describe the political views of Maxim Aristarkhovich Klintsov-Pogorevshikh.

7. Describe what happens to Yura during and after his mother's funeral.

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

9. Describe the beginning Lara and Pasha's relationship.

10. How does Lara feel about Komarovsky later in their relationship?

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

How does Yuri's relationship with Tonia differ from his relationship with Lara? What are his motivations in developing each relationship? What influence does each relationship have on his life?

Essay Topic 3

In the book, character and events seem to coincidentally occur at just the right (or wrong) time. What role does fate play in Yuri's life? What role does fate play in Lara's life? Give specific examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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