View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What event is about to happen in world history, across Europe at the beginning of the book?

2. Where is Bardamu incarcerated?

3. What does Bardamu decide to do to the hut in Section 10?

4. What is Bardamu surprised at while shopping in Africa?

5. In what year does the book start?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Bardamu realize he has been swindled in Section 11?

2. What does Bardamu discover about Noirceur from its mayor?

3. What hallucination does Bardamu start to have at the end of Section 4 and why?

4. Who saves Bardamu from the jungle?

5. What does Bardamu think is the interesting quality of the Manhattan Banks?

6. Who do Voireuse and Bardamu first approach for money in Section 7?

7. What does Bardamu think about the Germans during the First World War?

8. Why does Bardamu join the army in Section 1?

9. Whom does Bardamu meet outside Noirceur who becomes an enduring character in his own life?

10. What is the best description of the main character's personality?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role and symbolism of carnivals in the novel. What role does the carnival play, structurally, to mark transitions of setting or changes in people's behavior?

Essay Topic 2

When does Robinson usually appear in the novel? What effect does he often have on Bardamu?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Bardamu think Manhattan Island is similar to a religious experience for some?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 615 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample