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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. What type of death does the narrator discuss in Book V, Stanza 3?

2. In Book IV, Stanza 1, what does the narrator say is in his inquiry?

3. Why does Maldoror say he is most interested in young boys?

4. In Book VI, what other name does the narrator give the books?

5. When Maldoror starts following Mervyn, what is his dilemma?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Book V, Stanza 3, how does the narrator describe people's relationship to death?

2. Why does the man in Book IV, Stanza 7 live at sea?

3. What happened when Maldoror fell asleep on the cliff in Book IV, Stanza 6?

4. What happened to Maldoror in Book IV, Stanza 4?

5. What does the narrator reflect on in Book IV, Stanza 1?

6. In Book VI, Stanza 4, what does Maldoror learn from listening in at Mervyn's door?

7. What happens at the child's funeral in Book V, Stanza 6?

8. How does Maldoror compare himself to the man with stolen eyes in Book IV, Stanza 5?

9. What does the narrator think of martyrs?

10. In Book V, Stanza 2, what does the narrator realize about the vulture and the owl?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the ocean as a motif in this poem. Give examples of Lautréamont's use of the ocean and explain its symbolism and meaning.

Essay Topic 2

How does "Lautréamont's Maldoror" define childhood vs. adulthood? Why are these divisions important to the poem at the time in which it was written?

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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