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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 sound do the boys hear as they make their way to the outskirts of the city?

2. What do the sophisticated members of the tennis audience do when they see the brawl breaking out?

3. Which of the following laws does the narrator claim demands a preface?

4. Which of the following genres of literature is not one the narrator believes this novel could fit into?

5. Which of the following is not a reason why Kneadus rejects companionship from a particular farmhand?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mr. Youngblood react to the scene he walks into in Zuta's bedroom while looking for thieves?

2. How does Joey feel about the decorations in Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

3. How does Zuta react when Kopyrda sneaks through her bedroom window?

4. How does Zuta respond when she realizes Joey is spying on her?

5. What does Joey see when he spies on the Youngblood family as they get ready for the morning in the bathroom?

6. How does the crowd at the tennis match respond to all the craziness going on around the field?

7. How does Aunt Hurlecka come to Joey's rescue while he is on the outskirts of town?

8. How does the narrator explain his beliefs that all art is an imitation?

9. What causes the epileptic seizure that frightens the crowd of spectators at the tennis match?

10. Why does Joey create a peephole between his bedroom and Zuta's bedroom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Pimko's school, the best attribute a student can have is immaturity. First, describe why immaturity is such an alluring character trait for the students in Pimko's school. Then, describe how the teachers manipulate the immature students' brains. What commentary is Gombrowicz making about academia in general through the use of his overbearing, opinionated teachers? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

Essay Topic 2

When Joey is reverted back to the body of a teenager, he is sent to stay at an all-boys boarding school. First, describe the setting of the school. How does the school in the novel compare to traditional schools in our culture? How do the teachers treat the students? How do the students treat the teachers? In what way is the relationship between students and teachers a direct reflection of the overall emotions of the society Joey is apart of in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator of this novel often interjects his opinions of what is going on and speaks directly to the reading audience. What is accomplished by employing this type of intrusive narrator? What is lost? As a reader, describe your reaction to reading a narrator like this. What did his opinions add to the novel? What did they distract from? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

(see the answer keys)

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