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. What causes Maria to go into deep sleeps?

2. With what Russian author does the woman describe the Russian prisoner's answers?

3. What disturbs Lina about Michel's apartment?

4. Where is the beach in the beginning of "Sirocco" located?

5. For what reason does the tall woman admit to having fallen in love with her husband in "Sirocco?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a sirocco and how does it affect the narrator?

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

3. Why does Edna marry Harry and how does she grow apart from him?

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

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

6. For what reasons does Manuel want to move into the apartment with the terrace?

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

8. What are Lina's views on lesbianism?

9. Describe Dorothy and Edna in "Two Sisters."

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the conflicting gender dynamics of these stories in the following format:

Part 1) Virgins and their desire to have a lover.

Part 2) The violence and pushiness of certain men (such as Rango and Pierre).

Part 3) Lina.

Part 4) The characters' abilities to take control of their own sex lives.

Part 5) Pleasure at the expense of others.

Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Compare and contrast the characters of Bijou and Mary? Why is it significant that both women are depicted as being highly promiscuous? Why is it important to note that descriptions of these characters are filtered through the perceptions of people who are attracted to them (and, in Bijou's case, infuriated by her)? In what way is Mary able to break out of her role? Why are both women depicted as being so unhappy? How does this reflect upon the people who pursue relationships with them? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,235 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample