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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. Why did Hesse travel to the spa at Badenweiler?

2. Freedman said that the tensions in Hesse's works came from ________________.

3. After the birth of his son, how did Hesse spend a good deal of time?

4. When was Hesse born?

5. Where did Hesse's grandfather marry his wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Hesse's writing come from?

2. What was Hesse's social life like in Basel?

3. What does Freedman say about artists' lives, at the beginning of the prologue?

4. How big was Hesse's family?

5. Describe Hesse's schooling.

6. What is Freedman's stance with regard to the relationship between Hesse's life and works?

7. When did Hesse begin to write?

8. Describe Hesse's marriage with Maria.

9. What circles did Hesse enter in Tubingen?

10. Describe Hesse's apprenticeship.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How important was Hesse's health, in his career as a writer and in his personal development? What did his health force him to accept? What did Hesse learn from fighting his maladies? How did his health and his struggles with his health show up in his work?

Essay Topic 2

What did the decision to be a writer mean for Hesse as a young man, and how did the identity of the 'writer' clarify his role and responsibilities? How did he see his job as a "writer"? What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to avoid? Pay particular attention to his relationships with his family and their expectations for his career.

Essay Topic 3

Which of Hesse's books is most important in his life? Why is it the book that had the greatest effect on Hesse as a man and as a writer?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 682 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample