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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 was Tomas promised if he made the retraction?

2. Who does Franz end up belonging to in death?

3. In what condition did Tereza and Karenin find the black crow under?

4. What did Tomas hint to the doctor after he informed him that he would not retract his statement?

5. The man who visited Tomas at the clinic where Tomas was a general practitioner introduced himself as...

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part 7, Chapter 4, why does Tereza think that her love for Karenin is better than the love between her and Tomas?

2. Why does Tomas resign from the clinic?

3. In Part 4, Chapter 13, Tereza has a dream where she admits to the executioner that it wasn't her choice to come to the hill to die. Has she subconsciously renounced responsibility for her actions in order to proceed with what she wants to do?

4. Describe Simon's relationship with his mother.

5. What does the ambassador tell Tereza is the three functions of the secret police?

6. Kundera writes, whenever a single political movement corners power, we find ourselves in the realm of totalitarian kitsch. What does he mean by the word "totalitarian?"

7. What did Tereza worry would happen if Tomas found out about her affair with the engineer?

8. Why does Franz change his mind and decide to go to Cambodia?

9. Why does Tereza yearn to make love to other men?

10. Describe Tomas's work at the clinic.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the three options to write about:

1. Throughout The Unbearable Lightness of Being, the question of weight and lightness is often used to describe the reason behind a character's actions. Discuss which characters are pursuing lightness, which characters are more pursuing weight. Tomas, Tereza, Franz and Sabina.

2. Recurring dreams have a strong impact on Tereza. These dreams interpret her inner struggle with Tomas's affairs. Cite 3 dreams that were particularly frightening for Tereza.

3. Throughout The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera expresses quite a few observations about the Communist Regime and the people that oppose them. Cite 3 views that adrress those views.

Essay Topic 2

Tereza and Sabina are the closest women in Tomas's life.

1. Compare and contrast the characters of Tereza and Sabina. How are they the same? How are they different?

2. What would have happened if Tomas and Tereza had not married and he would have kept both her and Sabina lovers? Use passages in the book to portray the relevance Sabina had in Tomas's and Tereza's life and whether it would have been beneficial for the couple for Sabina to remain in Tomas's life.

3. Should Tomas have pursued a long term relationship with Sabina rather than with Tereza? Cite passages from the book to show why Tomas may have found a more compatible person in Sabina.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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