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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part 4: The Poet on the Run, pp. 161-181.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does the artist paint two X's on Maman's face?
(a) So that her original existence means nothing.
(b) To illustrate his secret hatred of women.
(c) So that he can recreate her.
(d) To show his cancellation of humanity.

2. What is Jaromil's criterion for a true poem?
(a) It must sound poetic when it is recited.
(b) It must have an established form.
(c) It must be able to stand apart from other poems.
(d) It must be read by someone other than the author.

3. On the train, why does Xavier avoid his Latin professor?
(a) He has not been to class in a long time.
(b) His Latin professor does not like him.
(c) He thinks the Latin professor will yell at him for missing class.
(d) He failed Latin class the first time he took it.

4. Why does Jaromil not speak to the cashier when she leaves the store?
(a) She is always with a man.
(b) He prefers to walk next to her silently.
(c) She is always with another girl.
(d) He does not have enough courage to approach her.

5. What idea about poetry does the artist's chastisement cause in Jaromil's mind?
(a) That he is talented and has great potential for success.
(b) That he is a worthless poet and will not succeed.
(c) That he is an imposter in the world of poetry.
(d) That he had been chosen to be the instrument of the poetic ideal.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Xavier do with the husband after his presence is discovered?

2. What is Xavier's first impression of the woman in the house?

3. What classic womanly question does the university girl ask Jaromil?

4. When Jaromil and the university girl are kissing in her house, what does Jaromil think about obsessively?

5. What does Jaromil write in his diary about the night he was supposed to lose his virginity?

(see the answer key)

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