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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 the title of Book V in Part III – Marius?

2. Gavroche pickpockets the thief who took Jean Valjean’s money and he throws it over whose wall in Book IV of Part IV – Saint Denis?

3. What bacterial infection swept through Europe in 1832, killing over 18,000 people in Paris?

4. Before he learns Cosette’s name, Marius refers to her as what nickname in Part III – Marius?

5. Approximately how many total casualties came about in the Paris Uprising of 1832?

Short Essay Questions

1. What internal conflict does Marius face in Book VIII of Part III – Marius? How is the conflict resolved?

2. Who introduces Marius to the Friends of the ABC in Book IV of Part III – Marius? What are Marius’s impressions of the group?

3. What does Marius learn about his father from Mabeuf in Book III of Part III – Marius? How does this information affect Marius?

4. What exchange takes place between Marius and Monsieur Gillenormand in Book VIII of Part IV – Saint Denis?

5. What leads to conflict between Jean Valjean and Cosette in Book III of Part IV – Saint Denis?

6. What information does Eponine leak to Marius about Cosette in Book II of Part IV – Saint Denis?

7. How is the outbreak of the June Rebellion described in Book X of Part IV – Saint Denis?

8. What consumes Marius’s mind in Book II of Part IV – Saint Denis? Where does he spend his time?

9. What leads to the disappearance of Cosette and Valjean in Book VI of Part III – Marius?

10. How does Gavroche go about helping two homeless children in Book VI of Part IV – Saint Denis? Who are these children?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the history of the Church and monasticism in France and author Victor Hugo’s commentary on monasticism in the novel. What does the author assert monasticism leads to? Would you say he’s a proponent or opponent of monasticism? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Jean Valjean’s supposed drowning in Book II of Part II – Cosette. How is Jean Valjean’s valor demonstrated in this section of the novel? What indications does the author give that the reader will meet Jean Valjean in the coming chapters?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the shifts in the narrative style of Les Miserables. Where in the novel does the author step out of the action to provide commentary on politics, culture, history, and opinion? How do Hugo’s digressions affect you as a reader? How do these chapters stand in relation to the plot?

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