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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. In Book III, Stanza 1, who does the fisherman think Maldoror and Mario are?

2. In Book II, Stanza 5, why does Maldoror consider throwing the girl against a wall?

3. Why does Maldoror send away the beautiful girl in Book II, Stanza 13?

4. Where does the hermaphrodite live?

5. What does Maldoror beg God for in Book I, Stanza 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Maldoror react to the sharks who swarm the capsized ship in Book II, Stanza 13?

2. In Book I, Stanza 6, what does Maldoror suggest people do to children?

3. What does Maldoror do when the bulldog he sends to kill the mad woman's daughter doesn't kill her?

4. In Book I Stanza 5, what is the first thing Maldoror tells the reader?

5. In Book III, Stanza 3, what does Tremdall witness?

6. What happens to God when He passes out drunk on earth?

7. What happens when Maldoror addresses the lamp hanging in a cathedral?

8. What does Maldoror do after watching the family eat dinner in Book I, Stanza 11?

9. Why does Maldoror feel the ocean is superior to humanity?

10. What does Maldoror do after visiting a brothel in Book III, Stanza 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research Lautréamont's life and period in which he lived. How does this history impact the poem? Make sure you reference secondary sources and give specific examples of the impact on the poem.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the different physical embodiments of God used in this poem. Give examples from the poem to support your comparison.

Essay Topic 3

Define the term symbolism. Discuss at least three uses of symbolism throughout this poem and how the symbols effectively portray the theme.

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