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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 are the books in the library catalog listed?

2. What is Cincinnatus's first job?

3. What does the director say is wrong with Roman Vissarionovich?

4. Who does Rodrig Ivanovich seem to transform into?

5. What metaphor does Cincinnatus use for trying to find the essence of what he wants to say?

Short Essay Questions

1. What relatives does Marthe bring with her the first time she visits Cincinnatus in prison?

2. In the story that Cincinnatus tells from his childhood, how does he get to the garden?

3. After telling his "joke," what does Pierre say about how Cincinnatus looks?

4. What does Cincinnatus realize as he heads back to his cell with Rodion?

5. How does Marthe's father treat Cincinnatus?

6. Why does Pierre turn into a circus performer?

7. What does Emmie do with the books in Cincinnatus' cell?

8. Besides how long Cincinnatus has until his execution, what else does Cincinnatus want to know from his captors? What is their response?

9. After the director reads his formal speech to Cincinnatus, where does Cincinnatus go?

10. What happens when there start to be complaints about Cincinnatus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss symbolism and metaphor in the novel.

1) What things are described as being off-center in the novel? What does this represent in the novel?

2) What does the spider represent in the novel? What does the moth that is almost fed to the spider represent?

3) What do nonnons represent? Why does Cecelia C. tell the story of nonnons?

4) Why does Cincinnatus take himself apart several times during the novel? What does this represent? What do some of the other absurd or surreal events in the novel represent?

5) What does the prison itself represent? Do the characters have symbolic or metaphoric meaning?

Essay Topic 2

Emmie's character becomes a source of hope for Cincinnatus. Discuss Emmie's role in the novel.

1) What qualities does Emmie's character have? What does Cincinnatus assume about Emmie's character? How do his assumptions differ from the reality?

2) How does Emmie represent childhood? What is Cincinnatus's perception of childhood, and how does it affect his view of Emmie?

3) How does Emmie's betrayal of Cincinnatus affect him? How do others view that betrayal?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss deception in the novel.

1) In what ways is Cincinnatus deceived throughout the novel? How does Pierre deceive him? How does Rodrig deceive him? How does Emmie deceive him? How does Marthe deceive him?

2) How does Cincinnatus react to being deceived? Does he let himself be deceived? How does he respond when he knows he's been deceived?

3) Does Cincinnatus deceive himself? How?

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