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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. When the Colonel enters the Round Room to meet with the Old Man, what instruction does he give to the Old Man?

2. Who suggests that the guests at the ghost supper be served tea?

3. At what type of performance does the Colonel first meet the Student?

4. What does the Old Man threaten to do to the Colonel's servant in the event that the Colonel summons him?

5. Bengtsson says that the statue in the Round Room is a depiction of which character's youth?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does the Old Man respond to the Colonel's claim that he has two things that the Old Man "cannot possess" (25)?

2. What does the Colonel have in his hand when he first meets the Old Man and what is the object's significance?

3. What truth is eventually revealed about the connection between the Milkmaid and the Old Man?

4. What do the flower bulbs within the Hyacinth Room represent?

5. What is the significance of the Colonel's retort to the Old Man's claim that Bengtsson "is not the man he appears to be" (25)?

6. Discuss an instance when Strindberg uses the music motif in conjunction with an instance of foreshadowing.

7. Which character is depicted within the portrait in the Round Room and what is the portrait's symbolism?

8. Where are the Student and the Girl when the Mummy forces the Old Man into the cupboard and why is this detail significant?

9. What instruction does the Mummy give to the Old Man when she leaves him alone with the Colonel?

10. What does the Old Man mean when he tells Bengtsson that his visit to the house is "not unexpected," though he knows it is certainly "undesired" (21)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Strindberg from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

Essay Topic 2

How do the themes of control and secrecy function within The Ghost Sonata and what is Strindberg’s message regarding these themes?

Essay Topic 3

Explicate the theme of altruism within The Ghost Sonata. What is Strindberg’s message regarding the performance of good deeds and how do you know?

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