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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. After the marriage, why can Dorothy no longer enjoy sex with Robert?

2. Fill in the blank: the narrator of "Lina" has two male lovers who are named Michel and ______.

3. What is a sirocco?

4. Despite her proclivities, what does Lina decry as disgusting?

5. What does Dorothy do after having sex with Donald and John?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the woman pass out in her story as the Russian dies?

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

3. What happens to the woman in the crowd while awaiting the Russian execution?

4. Why did the Viking woman get married?

5. How does Michel seduce Lina?

6. How do Novalis and Maria begin to grow apart?

7. What are Lina's views on lesbianism?

8. What happens have Lina, Michel, and the narrator sleep together?

9. Describe the scene with the four girls in Manuel's apartment on their second visit.

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

One of the continuing themes of this book is to rejoice in life, no matter what is happening around you. How is this used in stories such as "the Woman on the Dunes," "Two Sisters," and "Sirocco?" What is the purpose of these characters using sex to express the joy and unhappiness in their lives? How is this seen in regards to characters who have unfulfilled sexual needs (such as Novalis in "The Maja")? How does this relate to the ephemeral nature of a sexual encounter, as seen in "the Woman on the Dunes?" Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Why is this book called "Little Birds?" How does the title relate to the activities in the title story of this book? How does this theme relate to other characters and situations? Why is it significant that a collection of erotic stories should choose to have this connotation? In what ways does this help to subvert the idea that this book is merely pornography? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

How is sexual repression depicted in this book? How does a sexually repressed childhood (with conflicting messages) affect Dorothy and Edna of "Two Sisters?" Why is Lina repressed, despite her reciprocated attraction to her female friend? What about Maria from "the Maja?" How does this affect her marriage to Novalis and how does it affect his art? What do all of the repressed characters have in common? What changes their outlook on sex by the end of the stories and how does it fundamentally seem to change them?

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