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. In which year was the monarchy restored?

2. How old was Claire at this time?

3. Which term is not used to describe Ourika?

4. Modern book shops treat the buying and selling of books as a ____ science.

5. The story took place before which war?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was sent to visit Ourika in a convent outside Paris? What was the doctor's background?

2. What about Ourika's presence surprises the doctor? What is Ourika's reasoning for her illness?

3. What type of struggle did Claire have when deciding to publish her work for the first time?

4. What does Fowles say about Claire de Duras' work as a white novelist writing about a black woman in France?

5. What illegal act took place as a result of the success of Claire's books?

6. Who is Joan DeJean? What is her position at the University of Pennsylvania?

7. What major events took place while Claire was living in England? How and when did Claire meet her husband? What was his background?

8. What occurred after Claire published "Ourika" and her second book, "Edouard?"

9. What was unusual about the bookstore in Hampstead? Who was its owner?

10. How did Fowles discover Ourika? What was his initial opinion of the book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a short story or essay on Ourika's life if she had married Charles. Do you think it was ever a possibility? Explain. Do you think that it could have been a scandal? What might Mme. de B. have thought about such a situation? How might Ourika's life have changed if she had not become melancholy? What might her life have been like in 5-10 years?

Essay Topic 2

Write a short story or essay on what might have happened if the French Revolution had never occurred. What might have happened to the structure of France? How would it have affected the characters? Did the Revolution have any effect on the Black Code and the issues of slavery in France? Explain. Also, explain how the Revolution affected the structure of the aristocracy, including Mme. de B.'s connections to them and how that may have changed as well.

Essay Topic 3

Ourika referred to Senegal as a land of savagery. Although Ourika had negative impressions of the country, why did she wish to return? Explain what happened to Ourika in Senegal. Explain what happened to Ourika's mother. What might have happened if Ourika had stayed? Also, discuss Senegal then and now.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,021 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample