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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 IV, Stanza 3, what does the man in the gallows wife want from his mother?

2. Why does the man with webbed feet swim toward Maldoror?

3. What is on top of the mound the beetle rolls ball to?

4. In Book IV, Stanza 1, how does the narrator describe his success so far in the poem?

5. What does the narrator tell the reader to always do while laughing?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In Book V, Stanza 2, what does the beetle do?

3. What have men done to Maldoror in Book IV, Stanza 4?

4. How are the beetle and the man-pelican related?

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

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

7. How does Maldoror's letter to Mervyn impact Mervyn?

8. How has the man in Book IV, Stanza 7 adapted to living at sea?

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

10. What happens when Maldoror first sees Mervyn?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is success defined in this poem? How is the search for success a theme? Give specific examples from the poem to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

Explain how and why animals are used in "Lautréamont's Maldoror," giving specific examples from the text to support your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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