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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 does the author urge the young man to do with his "droll fancies"?

2. How does the concept the author mentions act on him?

3. What phrase does the young man fling about according to the author?

4. What kind of person does the author say the young man is like?

5. Who does the author say cannot love?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the point of the author's story about the count and countess?

2. Are any Either/Or choices absolute? Explain.

3. What are the advantages of the ethical theory of talent as opposed to the aesthetic theory of talent?

4. Why does the author warn against young men being tied down to making a living right away?

5. Briefly describe what the author means by the term Either/Or.

6. Why does the author write humans fear death?

7. What does the author say to despotic husbands who utterly dominate their wives?

8. How may talent become a hindrance to the enjoyment of life, according to the author?

9. How does the author describe his depression?

10. What advice does the author give the young man about despair?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of EITHER/OR takes the form of a letter written from an older man to a younger man. How does Kierkegaard use this format to accomplish his goals with the book? How might the message of the book feel different if it took another form? Discuss citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

What are the characteristics of the author of the letter? What kind of man is he? What is his life like? Create and defend a detailed portrait of the author of the letter citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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