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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 one soldier mutilate himself?

2. How does the narrator take it upon himself to continue his information-gathering about Russia and France?

3. Where does Charlotte store newspaper clippings and photographs from her past?

4. With what does Charlotte's daughter fall ill?

5. To what do conversations drift at dinner parties according to the narrator?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sergei find another way for the family to flee and what does Charlotte realize as they do so?

2. What memories of women does the narrator think about?

3. What happens each time Albertine and Charlotte return to Russia from France?

4. How does Albertine surprise Charlotte one day and what is left behind?

5. What impresses the narrator about his maternal grandfather?

6. What happens after Fyodor is arrested?

7. What is the other childhood memories of Charlotte's that has left an impact on the narrator?

8. What does the narrator say his grandmother does when the narrator looks at the photo of the scruffy woman?

9. Where does the narrator go for the summer and what is a tale she relates to the narrator on his first night there?

10. What is one of the childhood memories of Charlotte's that has left an impact on the narrator?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narration creates a sense of mystery, engaging the reader in the narrator's quest for truth. In this case, there are two different truths - what happened to Charlotte, and where does the narrator fit?

1. Explain what you think the above statements mean. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Using just the text from the first chapter, argue whether the search for who is Charlotte is the most important aspect of the story or the problems of who the narrator is.

3. Explain what about the sense of mystery in the first chapter goaded you to continue reading the book. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Andrei Makine.

2. What in Makine's background may have helped him in writing "Dreams of My Russian Summers"? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Dreams of My Russian Summers" is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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