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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. How does Chaval feel about Catherine?

2. What does Etienne suggest the workers create?

3. Why do the supervisors fine the Maheu team?

4. Who is Zacharie?

5. When did Bonnemort begin working in the mine?

Short Essay Questions

1. What has La Maheude troubled and what does she do about it?

2. What activist does Etienne meet at the Advantage and what do they do?

3. What happens when Etienne knows he can no longer control the crowd of miners at Voreux?

4. How do the miners get to their jobs?

5. Why do Chaval and Etienne not get along?

6. What does the company tell the miners about the mine at Voreux in February?

7. What happens in the mine in November and what was the consequences?

8. What happens to Catherine at the Jean-Bart mine?

9. How is Chaval feeling about Catherine and Lantier with Etienne living there and what does he do about it?

10. Chaval comes in the Advantage where Etienne is talking with Rasseneur. What does he announce and what happens between him and Etienne?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pluchart, Lantier's friend and the director of the International for the district, represents the unions and their self-serving attitude.

1. How does the behavior of the union support this statement?

2. Do you think the miners would have been better off if the union had never become involved in their lives? Why or Why not?

3. Do you think unions have a function in today's work world in consideration of all the labor laws? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

As the miners march toward Montsou, their numbers grow; the more they grow, the more they feel certain of their success. This anticipated success leads the striking miners to commit acts they would not have the strength to perform individually.

1. How do the miners demonstrate the power of a crowd?

2. There are also examples of the power of an individual in the book. What were two of them?

Essay Topic 3

The weight of long-established traditions appears again when Chaval asserts his dominance over Catherine.

1. What do you think is the status of women at this time and place?

2. Do women seem to have more, less or about the same power as men?

3. Why do you think Chaval felt he owned Catherine after raping her?

Use examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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