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 does Hans do when Joachim's corpse begins to smile inside the coffin?

2. What does Settembrini explain about his and Naphta's arguments?

3. What does Settembrini criticize about the medieval tortures?

4. Why do Settembrini and Naphta resent Peeperkorn?

5. In Chapter 6, what does Hans praise ascetically?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Joachim's death and the illness leading to it.

2. Describe Naphta's apartment.

3. What do Settembrini and Naphta argue about in Naphta's apartment, and what does each man say?

4. What do Joachim and Hans discuss on their way back to the Berghof after leaving Settembrini and Naphta?

5. What happens at the Berghof as spring approaches?

6. Who is Naphta, what does he look like, and how do Hans and Joachim meet him?

7. What role does the concept of time play at the beginning of Chapter 7?

8. In Chapter 6, what occurs with Hans' letters home, and what does he write about?

9. How does Hans insult Settembrini on Walpurgis Night?

10. What do Hans and Settembrini argue about that causes Hans to accuse Settembrini of offering hypocritical advice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Hans and Settembrini's friendship affect the story?

Essay Topic 2

How do Thomas Mann's experiences in real life affect the way that this story is written?

Essay Topic 3

How are the different symbols (the x-ray plates, the Maria Mancini cigars, etc.) used throughout the novel to represent abstract concepts? Detail and explain how the symbols are used to describe certain abstract concepts and which concepts they describe.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,321 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample