View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the second main project the male guest of the estate proposes to his hosts?

2. To whom does the captain find himself irresistibly attracted?

3. How does Eduard resolve to fulfill his growing need to be always around Ottilie?

4. What seemingly miraculous event occurs at the completion of the foundation stone ceremony?

5. What scientific subject becomes a main object of conversation between the hosts and their male guest?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ottilie and Charlotte's relationship change in Part I, Chapter 17?

2. How does Ottilie occupy herself after Charlotte and Eduard's confrontation and Eduard's subsequent actions?

3. What sudden action does Eduard take after the Captain leaves the household?

4. How does Eduard change in the wake of his realization of his passion for Ottilie?

5. What confusion does Eduard experience, after conducting the Count to a midnight visit with the Baroness?

6. What event leads to a sexually charged encounter between Charlotte and the Captain, and how does Charlotte react to it?

7. In Part I, Chapter 6, what activity becomes the clear marker of the shifting compatibilities of the four protagonists?

8. Why does Charlotte object to Eduard's proposal of bringing the Captain to live at their estate?

9. Who is Herr Mittler, and what do Charlotte and Eduard ask for his help with?

10. Summarize the letters from the headmistress and the schoolmaster.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of sin and repentance in the novel. What kinds of "sins" are displayed throughout the novel, and what acts (if any) of "repentance" are connected to those sins? In which ways do the various characters attempt to repent, and what are they repenting for? Do any characters exemplify the theme of repentance more or less than others? If so, what is the significance of this difference in the various characters' perspectives of repentance? What are the religious and/or moral significance or connotations of repentance?

Essay Topic 2

Address the question of the "moral of the story": does the novel possess a clear, concise moral message? Do contradictions and problems exist in the novel that could complicate the moral message of the novel? What is the relationship between religion and morality? Does the narrator, through tone or word choice, appear to either pass judgment or encourage readers to judge characters and their actions? Are there problems, as a reader and critical reader of the novel, in forming moral judgments on specific characters?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Eduard and the Captain (later the Major). What is the relationship between the two men and does this relationship change over the course of the novel? How are their characters similar, and how do they differ? What informs each man's thoughts, feelings, and decisions? How does each man react to his own desires, and to adversity? Does the narrator describe each man and his respective feelings, thoughts, and actions in any particular way that offers insights or critiques into his character?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,228 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample