Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Of the following, what do King Charles and John Shade have in common?
2. Once King Charles is outside his room he must escape from what part of the castle?
3. In lines 936 and 937 of "Pale Fire" the phrase "I plow Old Zembla's fields" is used by John Shade as part of a metaphor for what literal activity?
4. On what day did John Shade begin composing his poem "Pale Fire?"
5. "Forty ounces of fine sand" describes what in Canto One?
Short Essay Questions
1. Briefly describe the supernatural occurrences in Canto Two.
2. Describe John Shade's writing process.
3. How is Kinbote's birthday gift for Shade representative of Kinbote's commentary of the poem?
4. Describe John Shade's daughter.
5. Name some sports at which Kinbote is proficient.
6. Give a brief synopsis of King Charles' escape.
7. Briefly describe John Shade's vision of the after-life.
8. What is Kinbote's secret?
9. How does John Shade describe himself as a youth in Canto One?
10. How does John Shade understand life?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The first lines of the poem "Pale Fire" portrays a bird flying into a window. Charles Kinbote interprets these lines as they may relate to John Shade's experience.
How is Charles Kinbote like a bird who flies into a window?
Essay Topic 2
On page 156, in the commentary to Line 172, John Shade bemoans the way most of his students read and interpret literature.
Relate Shade's thoughts in the final paragraph on page 156 to the way Kinbote interprets the poem "Pale Fire."
How does Kinbote respond to Shade's commentary?
What does this tell us about Kinbote?
Essay Topic 3
Throughout the novel, the game of chess reappears in various scenes, and is played by a variety of characters.
Cite specific examples Nabokov uses of the game of chess throughout the novel.
Why do you think Nabokov chooses to incorporate the game of chess into the novel the way he does?
|
This section contains 827 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
