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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. On the train, why does Xavier avoid his Latin professor?
2. Who or what is the real source of Jaromil's poetic inspiration?
3. According to Maman, where was the poet conceived?
4. What does Xavier do with the husband after his presence is discovered?
5. What idea about poetry does the artist's chastisement cause in Jaromil's mind?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does the artist want most of all for Maman? Why is this difficult for her?
2. How does the artist's concept of an "inner world" (Part 1, Chapter 6, pg 30) dramatically change Jaromil's character?
3. 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?
4. What is the point of the scene in which Xavier leads his military compatriots to battle? Why does he not get his wish for death?
5. "He [Jaromil] was searching for immensity. His life was hopeless, small, everything around him was flat, gray" (Part 3, Chapter 8, pg 104). How does Kundera's presentation of the novel prove this to be true?
6. When the artist explains the red and brown painting to Maman, what is her response? How does this set the tone for the rest of their relationship?
7. How does Part 4 begin? What are the literary advantages to this?
8. When the Communists stage a coup, Jaromil and his uncle fight about the justice of the action. What does this fight reveal about Jaromil's place in the world, particularly in the political realm?
9. Consider titles of the novel, sections, and chapters. How do the titles help to establish the frame of the story?
10. How does Jaromil prepare for a date with a girl? How does his preparation actually make him completely unprepared for the date?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Find examples of older people in love with younger. How does this fit the Freudian theme of Jaromil with his mother? What is the significance in the fact that Xavier cannot undress the old woman?
Essay Topic 2
Though the idea of running does not appear until the end of Part III, how is it present throughout the book? How does the desire to run guide many choices that the characters make?
Essay Topic 3
What is the purpose of Part 6? Is it helpful to be drawn out of Jaromil's life for a brief time? How far away from Jaromil is the reader actually drawn? What literary advantages does this section of the book have: propel the action forward, reveal characters, create a foil, or something else?
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This section contains 1,718 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) |
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