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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Xavier do with the husband after his presence is discovered?
(a) Pushes the husband out the three-story window.
(b) Beats him up so that he loses consciousness.
(c) Wrestles the husband to the ground and ties his hands.
(d) Pushes the husband into the wardrobe and locks it.

2. Why does Jaromil begin taking lesson from the art teacher?
(a) Maman took an interest in the art teacher.
(b) He was tired of drawing people with dogs' heads.
(c) He thought the art teacher would make a good father.
(d) His art was consistently mediocre.

3. What night does Magda take her bath?
(a) Sunday.
(b) Saturday.
(c) Tuesday.
(d) Wednesday.

4. Why does Jaromil wait to show his poetry to the university girl?
(a) He wants to show her the long poem when it is finished.
(b) Maman has told him none of it is good enough to show to the girl.
(c) He wants to show it to her when it's published.
(d) He hopes she will show him some of her art first.

5. How does Jaromil treat his dates with girls?
(a) As the potential for sexual activity.
(b) As exercises in conversation.
(c) As rites of passage necessary for manhood.
(d) As uncomfortable times he must endure.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Maman view her love for the young engineer?

2. What does Jaromil see as the sign that his verses have true power?

3. Why does Maman push away her husband's hand when he wants to make love?

4. Why does the blond girl wear a beautiful white dress to the dance hall?

5. In looking at the Apollo statue, what does Maman hope?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Jaromil's university experiences told in the novel? What message does this convey to the reader about the scope of the novel?

2. When Kundera opens the scene of Maman and Jaromil's vacation, he uses many descriptive words and phrases. What effect does this have on the reading of the novel?

3. Throughout the second half of Part 3, what do Jaromil and the university girl think about their love? What impression does their opinion give to the reader?

4. After the death of Maman's husband, how does she change? Though Kundera does not make it overt, is this change for the better or for the worse?

5. Why is Maman angry at Jaromil because of her love life? Is her anger justified?

6. What does Xavier notice most about the woman in the apartment? How does the woman use her eyes?

7. What role do the twenty telephone receivers play in the story?

8. Who is Jaromil's only school friend? What picture do these two children present?

9. When Maman combs Jaromil's hair in front of her guests, how does he react? According to the implications of the text, how does this deepen the rift between them?

10. What revelation does Maman have about her husband one night after a party? How does this affect her relationship with Jaromil?

(see the answer keys)

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