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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 Ottilie set in the foundation stone with the other peoples' offerings?

2. How is the female guest of the estate related to the mistress of the estate?

3. What request does Eduard make of the person who visits him in his solitude?

4. What service does Ottilie volunteer to do for Eduard?

5. Once the Captain leaves, what does Charlotte suggest to Eduard regarding Ottilie?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where on the estate do the four protagonists increase their work, and for what coming occasion?

2. What changes in the Captain's future situation come to light in Part I, Chapter 14?

3. What counteroffer does Charlotte make to Eduard's proposal of the Captain's visit?

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

5. How does Ottilie act around the others when she arrives at the estate?

6. How does Eduard explain to Mittler how he feels and acts?

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

8. Summarize the events which occur on Ottilie's birthday.

9. Describe the Count and the Baroness and the circumstances surrounding them.

10. Describe Eduard's character, as the narrator paints it early in the novel.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the role of the sciences which are mentioned or utilized in the novel: mathematics, chemistry, geography, history, natural science, architecture, and derivations of alchemy. What are the main and minor characters' views on the sciences? How are these sciences used in the novel? In the context of the early 19th century, what were the roles of various branches of science, and how were the sciences viewed in European culture? Where do you see connections between the actual cultural and historical context of this novel, and the references to the sciences within it?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Examine Luciane's character. What is her relation to Charlotte and Ottilie? How does Luciane's character compare specifically to Ottilie's character? What words or phrases best describe Luciane? What is notable about her interactions with others, and how do other characters feel about her and her presence at the estate? Does the narrator, through his use of tone or word choice, present Luciane in any particular manner? How does her characterization address the theme of self-contradiction in the novel? How does her character address the theme of public life versus private life in the novel?

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