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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 happened when the interpreter that headed the march requested permission to enter the territory of Cambodia?

2. What was the incident that Tomas could not recall with his lover?

3. What does Tereza claim to Tomas during their dance at the hotel's bar?

4. What did Tereza fear it meant by the engineer never showing up again?

5. What was Franz's initial reaction when he was invited to go to Cambodia?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. Is it Tereza's fault that Tomas had to leave his profession and ended up a truck driver in the country?

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

5. What does the article about the dogs being summarily shot in Russia signify for Tereza?

6. When talking to his son, Simon, what is Tomas's attitude about the article he had written?

7. What does Franz realize at the end of his trip to Cambodia?

8. Was Tomas right in not having signed the petition?

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

10. Describe Tomas's work at the clinic.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you were living in Prague during the invasion, would you have fled the country? Where would you have gone? Would you have stayed for the love of your country and fellowmen knowing you may lose your job?

Essay Topic 2

Sabina and Marie-Claude are two of the coolest characters in this novel.

1. Comapre and contrast the characters of Sabina and Marie-Claude. How are they the same? How are they different?

2. Has Franza chosen a mistress that has similar characteristics to that of his wife? Cite 5 examples of how Franz fails to read through the women he married and his lover.

3. Who has less compassion towards Franz, his wife or Sabina? Cite several examples from the book to support your case.

Essay Topic 3

Kundera has an entire section about misunderstood words between Franz and Sabina.

1. Was misunderstandings of words what led to Franz's and Sabina's break-up or were they simply not meant to be together? Cite 3 examples that support your theory.

2. had Sabina and Franz really been in love, would there have been a misunderstanding of words? Cite examples to prove your theory.

3. In Franz's case, was there a misunderstanding of words or a misunderstanding of women? How did Franz's upbringing affect his personality? Cite 3 examples of how his upbringing influenced the relationships he ended up having with women.

(see the answer keys)

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