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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 I, Stanza 6, what does Maldoror say has the sweetest taste?

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

3. In Book II, Stanza 1, what does the narrator say Maldoror is for the reader?

4. In Book III, Stanza 2, how does the narrator discover the mad woman's secret?

5. What does Maldoror say flying octopi are like?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Book 1, Stanza 8, why does Maldoror say he is like dogs?

2. In Book II, what happens to the narrator when he tries to write?

3. What happens to Maldoror when he realizes he was born evil?

4. In Book II, Stanza 12, what does Maldoror say about praying as a child?

5. What conversation about heaven does Maldoror have with the boy on the park bench?

6. Why does Maldoror tell men to stop worshiping an insect god?

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

8. What does the narrator warn the reader about before Maldoror's story begins?

9. At the end of Book II, what does the narrator say his poem might cause?

10. What does Maldoror say about the ten-year old girl who used to follow him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Lautréamont use surrealism throughout this poem? What is the effect of this device? How is it effective or ineffective? Make sure you define surrealism in your essay and use specific examples of it in the poem.

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

How is conscience developed as a theme in "Lautréamont's Maldoror"? Give specific examples of the use of conscience in the poem.

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