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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 occurs in the tale of seduction Valmont tells Merteuil in letter 79?
2. Where does Cécile live before coming home to Paris?
3. How does Valmont's tale of seduction end?
4. How does Merteuil respond to Valmont's warning about the man who wants to pursue her?
5. What does Madame de Volanges discover about her daughter?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does Valmont essentially tell Merteuil about their relationship with each other in letter 15?
2. What is the content of Danceny's letters to Cécile?
3. What action does Valmont take to make Madame de Tourvel love him, and what are the results?
4. How does Cécile describe Danceny to her friend Sophie?
5. What does Madame de Volanges say about Valmont to warn Madame de Tourvel against becoming too friendly with him?
6. What does the author of the Introduction say about potential political messages of social commentary in Laclos' novel?
7. What were Laclos' general views on politics and gender relations?
8. What serious warning does Valmont give Merteuil?
9. How does the Publisher's Foreword introduce the novel?
10. How does Madame de Tourvel respond to Valmont's first love letter?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Compare and contrast the different writing styles of various main characters: Cécile, Danceny, Valmont, Merteuil, Madame de Tourvel, Madame de Rosemonde, and Madame de Volanges. Are any character's style or styles of writing distinct in any way? What type of language, or what tone, is most associated with each character? To what subjects do these characters refer in their letters? How do their styles of writing contribute to the development of their characters? How do their different styles of writing contribute to the "theatricality" of the novel, to its pace, and to the audience's perception of the work?
Essay Topic 2
Does Merteuil and Valmont's relationship through letter writing become a stand-in for having a real sexual relationship, or even being in love? What is the significance of them never meeting face-to-face within the confines of the book? Does Merteuil subtly seduce Valmont through the entire novel? What does she lead him to believe? What promise or contract between them does Valmont continually remind her of? How does their sexual tension contribute to the breaking of their relationship late in the novel? How does their relationship change throughout the course of the novel?
Essay Topic 3
Examine the ending of the novel and the various fates assigned to each character. Does the ending and Madame de Volanges' final message fulfill the "requirements" of a moral novel? Could the endings of, arguably, the two most important characters (Valmont's death and Merteuil's disgrace) be considered "Deus ex machinas?" Why or why not? Do you find any symbolism in each character's fate? Where do ideas of morality and justice emerge from the ending of the novel? Does the ending resolve anything, leave any issues ambiguous, or become undercut by the vastness of the immorality in the novel?
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This section contains 1,011 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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