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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. Who brings Cincinnatus' chair back to him?

2. What does Cincinnatus have trouble deciding about his letter to Marthe?

3. Who comes through the tunnel?

4. What does Pierre do when Rodrig Ivanovich comes in to listen to his lecture?

5. Where does the tunnel lead to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What announcements does the deputy city director make before the execution?

2. Describe what happens to Cincinnatus's cell when the tunnel is completed.

3. How does Rodion act toward Cincinnatus?

4. What does Pierre do, when the party moves outside at the meeting between Cincinnatus, Pierre, and the city officials?

5. How does Cincinnatus react when Pierre, the director, and the lawyer announce that it is time for his execution?

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

7. How does Pierre act during his chess game with Cincinnatus?

8. What does Pierre do after the party starts breaking up, before heading back to the prison?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rodrig and Rodion are the two main representatives of the prison staff in the novel, and throughout the novel, they transform into each other. Discuss the significance of Rodion and Rodrig in the novel.

1) Why are Rodrig and Rodion associated with each other? What do they have in common?

2) What are Rodrig and Rodion's differences? How superficial are these differences?

3) How do Rodrig and Rodion view Cincinnatus? What does Cincinnatus think of the two prison employees? What do they represent in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Many things in the novel are superficial or fake. Discuss the role of superficiality and falseness in the novel.

1) How is superficiality a part of the culture of the novel?

2) What items in Cincinnatus' surroundings such as in his prison and his cell are fake? What do these fake items signify? How does Cincinnatus perceive them?

3) How are the people surrounding Cincinnatus fake? Why does he perceive them as unreal? What would make a person real to Cincinnatus?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the setting of the prison.

1) Why is the prison set high on a mountain? Why is Cincinnatus the only prisoner? Why is it so large and rambling, with confused passages? What does this contribute to the novel?

2) What does Cincinnatus's cell look like? What do the elements in Cincinnatus's cell represent or indicate? How is Cincinnatus's cell different from Pierre's cell?

3) Why do the cell and prison collapse when Cincinnatus is taken away to be executed?

(see the answer keys)

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