View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. While fixing up the new apartment, what thought keeps Manuel working?

2. Why does Robert become enamored of Dorothy?

3. In the woman's story, why was the Russian going to be executed?

4. To what animal is Lina frequently compared?

5. How does the woman on the beach help Louis?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the only ways Manuel can become aroused?

2. What are Lina's views on lesbianism?

3. How does Michel seduce Lina?

4. For what reasons, in the woman's story, are the people so stirred up about the impending execution of the Russian radical?

5. Why is Lina angry about the narrator's lovers?

6. How does Louis "court" the woman in the ocean before he tries to make love to her?

7. Why does Louis walk to the beach in "The Woman on the Dunes"?

8. In the story "The Maja," why did Novalis marry Maria and how does this affect their marriage?

9. What leads up to the schoolgirls running from Manuel at the end of this story?

10. How is Maria finally able to overcome her aversion to sensuality?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In terms of racist language and reference, what marks these stories as having been written in a much earlier than this one? How is this particularly seen in "Saffron" and "Sirocco?" How can these stories be seen as a commentary about these men's needs to control women? In what ways is this sort of bigotry on display in "the Queen?" What is significant about the fact that these references are all seen in relation to selfish, bitter, and controlling men?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the use of homosexuality in this novel in the following format:

Part 1) Lina and the narrator.

Part 2) The narrator from "A Model."

Part 3) Mandra.

Part 4) Dorothy, John, and Donald.

Part 5) Lesbians and the lack of homosexual men in this book.

Part 6) Sensuality.

Develop a clear thesis and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the characters' sexual awakenings in the following format:

Part 1) The repression of several characters.

Part 2) These characters' interactions with others. How does this affect their relationships?

Part 3) Their pride and resistance to breaking through their repression.

Part 4) The hypocritically repressed.

Part 5) The characters after they have experienced their sexual awakenings.

Develop a clear thesis statement and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,181 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample