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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 does Proust believe a life examined is?

2. What were Proust's main passions?

3. What does the examination of merits of art include in its survey?

4. How did Proust feel in response to the article about the boy murdering his mother?

5. Who did Proust tell that he wanted his book to do for people what his father did for people?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was it fitting that Proust became a writer?

2. Discuss the distinction between actual life and the "image" of life.

3. What was Proust's problem with romance and love?

4. What was Proust's problem and difficulty with friendship?

5. What is Proust's overall point in his opinion on abbreviation?

6. How does De Botton believe Proust felt about his father?

7. Describe what Proust's writing was infamous for?

8. What did Proust argue people were not being when they used cliches?

9. What are the dangers of reading?

10. Describe the quote De Botton begins Chapter 1 with.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Proust's quotes on friendship and the quotes Proust's friends say about Proust as a friend. Consider what insight this gives the reader about Proust.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and explain what important information the reader gains about Proust from learning about the details of his relationship with his father.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the way Proust's death is a reflection of himself as an individual and what it reflects about his overall character.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 574 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample