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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. To whom does the author compare the young man when he is ill-tempered?

2. What moment does the newly married couple attempt to postpone?

3. How does the author describe a couple's connection in a marriage of convenience?

4. What does the author say would be a matter of indifference to Christians?

5. The author asserts that just as nothing is impossible for God, nothing is impossible for whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author say could seriously tempt him to write books?

2. How does the author define and marriage of convenience?

3. In what kind of moment does the author write he hopes his letter finds the young man, and why?

4. Describe the fantasy marriage the author proposes to the young man.

5. When does the secretiveness about which the author writes gain its strength?

6. What is the author's attitude toward "first love"?

7. Why are erotic love and marriage irreconcilable according to the author?

8. Why does the author compare the young man to King Herod?

9. How does the author compare the young man to an insane man?

10. Why does the author write that marriage belongs to Christianity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author discusses the forms of love extensively in EITHER/OR. How many different forms of love does the author identify? How are they distinct from one another and how do they relate to one another? What is the place of each form of love in a man's life? How does each form of love relate to marriage? Discuss citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Both the author of the letter and the letter's recipient are men. Discuss the influence of gender in EITHER/OR. How might the letter be different if it were written by or to a woman? Why do you think both of the characters are men? Discuss citing specific examples.

Essay Topic 3

The author of the letter and the recipient of the letter are of two different generations. Discuss the impact of generational differences on the two characters' attitudes. For example how do the younger man and the older man each understand the concept of love and of relations between the sexes. Also the older man makes frequent reference to his generation's problems with contemporary social trends. What are these? Discuss citing specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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