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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 is displayed at the gathering of the city officials, Pierre, and Cincinnatus?

2. What initials are supposed to be spelled out in lights in the park?

3. What does Cincinnatus attribute the scratching on the walls to?

4. What does Cincinnatus say when he learns his mother has come to see him?

5. What does Pierre tell Cincinnatus to do in the moments before the execution?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Marthe get permission to come and see Cincinnatus?

2. What happens at the moment of Cincinnatus's execution?

3. What is on the list of acceptable last requests that Pierre reads?

4. What does Cincinnatus's letter to Marthe say?

5. How does Cincinnatus respond to Pierre's speech?

6. What inconsistency in Cecilia C.'s clothes does Cincinnatus point out?

7. What reason does Pierre give Cincinnatus for pretending to be a prisoner?

8. What does the librarian do when Cincinnatus tries to express his true thoughts?

9. What does Emmie's mother describe as Emmie's last prank before going back to school?

10. What does Pierre realize that he has forgotten in his speech?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Cincinnatus's own role in his imprisonment.

1) How does Cincinnatus's crime make him impossible to imprison? Why does Cincinnatus remain in the prison, hoping for help of escape from Emmie or Pierre?

2) What implications does Cincinnatus's escape from his execution at the end of the novel have about Cincinnatus's imprisonment? If he were able to simply walk away from the executioner's ax, couldn't he simply walk away from his cell?

3) What aspects of Cincinnatus's own personality and character imprison him, literally and metaphorically?

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

Cincinnatus's mother Cecelia C. is one of the few people to visit him in prison. Discuss Cecelia C.'s role in the novel.

1) What is Cincinnatus's attitude toward his mother?

2) Why does Cecelia C. come to see him in prison? What does her attitude toward Cincinnatus seem to be? Why did she abandon her son, and why does she come to see him again?

3) How is Cecelia C.'s visit different from the other visits Cincinnatus receives in prison? How is he similar to his mother? How are they different? What affect does the visit have on Cincinnatus?

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