View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part 3: The Poet Masturbates, Chaps. 1-14, pp.93-114.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is Xavier's first impression of the woman in the house?
(a) Tiredness.
(b) Happiness.
(c) Contentment.
(d) Melancholy.

2. Why does Xavier leave the beautiful woman?
(a) He no longer loves her.
(b) His life is much more difficult than she can ever bear.
(c) The world becomes even more beautiful because it came at the cost of her love.
(d) He loves her but not enough to fight her husband for her.

3. Jaromil agonizes over his hair. What kind of hair does he have?
(a) Dark, thick hair.
(b) Soft, blond hair.
(c) Thin, brown hair.
(d) Very curly hair.

4. Why does Maman not want to go to the lake on vacation?
(a) It would have reminded her of happier summers.
(b) She wanted her husband to go along.
(c) Jaromil did not want to go with her.
(d) She did not have enough money.

5. What pleased the artist the most about Jaromil's drawings?
(a) The high degree of talent which they exhibited.
(b) The original inner world that they revealed.
(c) The amount of time and care that went into them.
(d) Jaromil's own modesty when presenting them.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Jaromil think is the quintessential surrealist object?

2. According to Kundera, what is "tenderness"?

3. Why does Maman welcome her pregnancy?

4. What distinctive piece of clothing does the old woman wear when she dances with Xavier?

5. How does Maman have complete control of her son?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 355 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample