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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 6, what animal does Maldoror say he turned into in his dream?

2. How does Maldoror feel about the man with the stolen eyes in Book IV, Stanza 5?

3. When the narrator thinks about martyrs in Book V, Stanza 3, what does he want to do?

4. Why is the beetle in Book V, Stanza 2 upset about someone forgetting a woman?

5. In Book IV, Stanza 6, where does Maldoror remember falling asleep?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. In Book IV, Stanza 2, what is the narrator's message about laughter?

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

6. What happens when Maldoror first sees Mervyn?

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

8. What does the narrator think of martyrs?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is this poem's commentary on the role of religion in the lives of people? Give examples from the poem to support your position. How could the background of the poet effect how religion is portrayed?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate the use of the poetic form for this piece of literature. How does this choice impact the reader? What would change if the form changed?

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

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