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. With what does the narrator begin this poem?

2. Who does the narrator learn was witness to everything Maldoror did to the mad woman and her daughter?

3. Why does Maldoror say he had a hard time learning to communicate as a child?

4. After Maldoror watches the family eating dinner, what does the family feel?

5. How does Maldoror define the suffering God creates in Book II, Stanza 3?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Maldoror predict about his death in Book I, Stanza 10?

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

4. How was Maldoror's childhood deafness cured?

5. When Mario and Maldoror travel together in Book III, what do they talk about?

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

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

8. What does the child chasing the horse-drawn bus make Maldoror think of?

9. In Book II, Stanza 15, what does Maldoror do when he finds himself at odds with conscience?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How are gender roles defined in this poem? What role does division of gender play in this poem, including its themes?

Essay Topic 2

How is "Lautréamont's Maldoror" a critique of Christianity? Give examples of Christian themes or symbols used by the author and their implications.

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 711 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample