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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 fear it meant by the engineer never showing up again?

2. When the engineer undressed Tereza, how did she respond?

3. For Karenin, everything that came from Tereza was...

4. What did making love with the engineer in the absence of love do to Tereza?

5. What did the U.S. Senator Sabina was riding with consider happiness?

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. All her life Sabina had proclaimed kitsch her enemy. But, Kundera asks, hasn't she in fact been carrying it with her?

3. Kundera claims that the way Tomas rushes into the decision to leave the clinic seems rather odd. He asks, could it perhaps conceal something else, something deeper that escapes Toma s's reasoning? What is the answer to his question?

4. Prior to suggesting they move there, what experience has Tereza had with country life?

5. 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?

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

7. Describe Simon's relationship with his mother.

8. What causes Tereza to suspect the engineer was sent by the secret police?

9. Describe Tomas's experience as a window washer.

10. 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?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tomas and Tereza's love is based on her fidelity.

1. Did Tereza's infidelity help her achieve her goal of having Tomas all to herself? What would have happened had Tereza not had an affair? Did her infidelity cure her from jealousy?

2. Tereza does not believe that Tomas would throw her out if he learns of her affair. What then would Tomas have done? How would him knowing have changed the nature of their relationship?

3. Had Tereza not given up her life to Tomas, making him certain of her fidelity, would he have fallen in love with her and married her? What does your answer say about his character?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Choose one of the three options to write about:

1. Throughout The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Kundera brings up God on a number of occasions. Using examples from the book, discuss his views on this particular subject.

2. Except for Simon and Marie-Claude, all the characters are involved in some type of infidelity. Does the political environment influence people to this type of lifestyle?

3. Describe "kitsch," especially how the author relates it to politics. Use 2 examples, not concerned with the book, of modern day situations that would be considered "kitsch."

(see the answer keys)

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