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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. When promising to show the exotic birds to the schoolgirls, what does Manuel say is different about the bird from Brazil?

2. Which of the following is not one of the reasons Maria refuses to show her nude body to her husband?

3. At her wedding to Robert, what haunts Dorothy?

4. What does Novalis do without Maria's knowledge while she sleeps?

5. What does Louis see when he spies on the couple in the house?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. For what reasons does Edna begin to find her self-confidence again after becoming estranged from Harry?

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

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

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

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

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

8. What are Lina's views on lesbianism?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story "Lina," does it appear that Lina gave consent to Michel? Why or why not? Discuss whether Lina was actually raped, as well as the morality of what Michel and the narrator do to her. Points to consider (but not exclusively) include her apparent enjoyment of the threesome, Michel's use of an aphrodisiac, as well as Lina leaving Paris the day after their encounter.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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