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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. What did Tereza suffer as a result of Tomas's affairs?

2. Tereza has a dream where she marches around a pool of naked women who are overjoyed by their sameness. What does this part of her dream represent?

3. Why was Tomas attracted to Tereza?

4. What feelings did Sabina portray towards the immigrants she sat with?

5. What did Karenin hate?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Tereza react to her mother's phone call telling her she had cancer and only 5 months to live?

2. Describe Franz's weakness.

3. What did Tereza write in the letter that she'd left for Tomas in Zurich?

4. What happens to Franz after Sabina leaves him for good?

5. In Part 1, Chapter 3, what did Tomas struggle with after Tereza returned to her small Czech town?

6. What were books for Tereza?

7. What type of daughter was Tereza? What was her lifestyle like?

8. In Part 2, Chapter 29, what were Tereza's first thought when Tomas had come back to Prague because of her?

9. Is reaching the lightness of being Sabina's goal?

10. Describe Marie-Claude's personality.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you were asked to retract a letter for the sake of saving your career, what would you do? Would you save your career or your pride? Write how Tomas's and Tereza's life would have had a different outcome if Tomas had retracted the letter.

Essay Topic 2

When making decisions, Tereza and Tomas do not really look long term.

1. By retiring into the country, does Tomas and Tereza draw forth their death? Could they have subconsciously wanted to die? If so, what would each of their reasons have been?

2. Had they not died, could they have had a happy relationship? Why or why not?

3. Why didn't Tomas refuse to go to the country? Given the political situation of the country, did Tomas and Tereza have any other option? Overall, would you consider Tereza selfish in her actions? Cite 3 examples.

Essay Topic 3

Tomas and Tereza are brought together by fortuitous events.

1. Kandera often brings up the fortuitous events that brought Tomas and Tereza together. How many times does Kandera bring this up> What is he trying to say? Were Tereza and Tomas brought together by chance or fate?

2. Tomas questions the fortuitous events that brought him and Tereza together. Why didn't Tomas go beyond the questioning and conclude whether or not they did belong together? Was Tomas too passive in the relationship, allowing for those fortuitous events to lead the meaning of the relationship? Cite 3 examples that prove your theory.

3. Tereza holds steady to the fortuitous events that brought her to Tomas. Why does that not bring her peace? Cite 3 examples where she fully recognizes she's in an unhappy relationship.

(see the answer keys)

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