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

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens to Maigrat when he runs from the miners?

2. What does Etienne ask Catherine?

3. What do the Montsou miners do to the Jean-Bart mine?

4. Why do the miners organize a meeting in the forest?

5. Where do the miners go when they leave the Hennebeaus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses the environment to underline the symbolic value of Étienne Lantier's move from timid indignation to effective political action. For instance, Lantier and his supporters decide to leave the tavern of the Rasseneurs and move to another meeting place because the former serve "warm beer" and "bad soup."

1. What other situations in the environment to you see reflecting the situations with the miners?

2. How did Etienne's relationships with the miners and the Maheu family reflect his change from outsider to political leader?

Essay Topic 2

Grégoire summarizes the entire position of the typical bourgeois.

1. What do you see as his position?

2. What parts of Gregoire's position do you believe is true? What parts do you see as false?

3. Do you believe the wealthy class in America today would agree with Gregoire's position on the miners? Why or why not?

Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The situation is desperate, with the miners having no food or heat. Zola draws an analogy of lack of coal as a source of collective energy (for the houses), which is correlated with the lack of food, a source of personal energy (for the body).

1. Discuss two other analogies that Zola uses in the miners' situation.

2. Do you think Zola's analogies are meant to be ambivalent to be powerful? Why or why not?

3. Would he have strengthened his position better with more concrete writing?

(see the answer keys)

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