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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 VI, what other name does the narrator give the books?

2. In Book IV, Stanza 7, why does the man have webbed hands and feet?

3. Why does Maldoror say he has tried to erase the memory of his dream from Book IV, Stanza 6?

4. In Book V, Stanza 1, what does the narrator say a reader must have while reading these poems?

5. Who are the boys that climb out of the spider's pocket in Book V, Stanza 7?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who is Elsseneur?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. What happens when Maldoror sees the man hanging from the gallows?

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

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

Explore the theme of morality in this poem. What is Lautréamont's message? Give examples from the poem to support your statements about morality.

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