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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. While walking with the redhead one day, whom does Jaromil see?
(a) The brunette he had fallen in love with long ago.
(b) The janitor's son.
(c) Maman and the beautiful cinematographer.
(d) Maman and her new lover.

2. How does Maman destroy the intimacy between Jaromil and herself?
(a) By telling Jaromil he could find a better girl.
(b) By insulting the redhead's manners.
(c) By looking down on the redhead because of her job.
(d) By suggesting that the redhead sleeps around.

3. During the filming, how does Maman push Jaromil back into the role of a young child?
(a) By reminding him of immature ideas he used to believe.
(b) By telling embarrassing stories of his childhood.
(c) By calling him her little troublemaker.
(d) By calling him pet names.

4. What contest does the party guest suggest to Jaromil?
(a) A contest between a poet and a corpse.
(b) A contest between a poet and a policeman.
(c) A contest between a mouse and a cat.
(d) A contest between an artist and a poet.

5. The night of the party, what does Maman realize about the cinematographer?
(a) The girl is a Communist spy.
(b) She loves the girl more than Jaromil does.
(c) The girl will scheme up anything to get what she wants.
(d) The girl would be an excellent daughter-in-law.

6. Why does the man work in a factory?
(a) He has always wanted to work with his hands.
(b) He is suspicious of any white-collar job, which is often involved in the unsteady political trends.
(c) The government had decided he was too closely connected to capitalist England.
(d) It was punishment for his anti-Communist writings.

7. According to one of the party guests, why has Jaromil stopped talking to the artist?
(a) The artist was involved in spy campaigns.
(b) Jaromil saw that the man was a capitalist discontent.
(c) Jaromil's art deserved better instruction than this man could give.
(d) The friendship would have stood in the way of his career.

8. At the end of Part 6, what sound does Kundera hear?
(a) Jaromil's breath.
(b) The rustle of bedclothes.
(c) Death stamping its feet.
(d) The future walking.

9. How does the old poet describe the cinematographer and Jaromil?
(a) As stars in the lonely sky.
(b) As the sole hope for the future.
(c) As ill-fated lovers.
(d) As princess and prince of the evening.

10. While Jaromil is answering questions about love and socialism, what is he most conscious of?
(a) The presence of the silver-haired poet.
(b) Maman's imagined disappointment over his answers.
(c) Dark eyes watching him from the audience.
(d) The fact that he is only reciting the words of his artist teacher.

11. What makes Maman think that Jaromil is actually becoming like a son of Apollo?
(a) He values the Greek gods more than passing political trend.
(b) His face is becoming beautiful and godlike rather than coarse.
(c) He has begun writing beautiful poems, not poems of death.
(d) He has taken down the picture of his father.

12. How long has it been since the middle-aged man saw the girl who rang his doorbell?
(a) Eight years.
(b) One year.
(c) Three months.
(d) Three years.

13. What is the redhead's reaction to Jaromil's poetry printed in the newspaper?
(a) She thought he was wasting his time.
(b) She had not even known he wrote poetry.
(c) She did not understand the poem.
(d) She was thrilled to have a famous boyfriend.

14. When the redhead is fifteen minutes late, what is the first excuse she gives Jaromil?
(a) She was with a girlfriend who was breaking up with her fiancé.
(b) She was making love to another man.
(c) She was with her mother in the hospital.
(d) She was spending a few minutes with her brother.

15. Symbolically, what role does Maman want to play in Jaromil's life?
(a) The source of eternal light.
(b) An all-encompassing embrace.
(c) A guardian angel.
(d) A large meadow.

Short Answer Questions

1. During the argument between Jaromil and the party guest, why do the other guests burst out laughing?

2. Why does the girl come to see the man rather than going home?

3. After Jaromil hears about the girl's brother, what action does he want her to take?

4. Why has the middle-aged man arranged signals with the people who visit him?

5. How does the film begin?

(see the answer keys)

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