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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. Kinbote reflects on the absurdity of what?
2. Kinbote believes who will be punished by God?
3. According to Kinbote, who gives Gradus a ride?
4. Which of the following best describes Gradus' feelings towards his role in the revolution?
5. Kinbote has an auditory hallucination of John Shade's voice telling him to do what?
Short Essay Questions
1. What do you think of Kinbote's disregard for psychoanalysis?
2. Give a brief account of the events involving Disa and King Charles after the revolution.
3. How does Kinbote describe the Russian guards who are after the Zemblan Crown Jewels?
4. What does Kinbote think about John Shade's lack of religion?
5. How does Gradus learn the location of the king?
6. Who does Disa mirror in Kinbote's life?
7. What is ironic about Kinbote criticizing Shade for using a title from another work for one of his own books?
8. Briefly summarize the conversation Kinbote overhears between Shade and Mrs. Hurley, and its relevance to "Pale Fire."
9. When does Kinbote finally merge with King Charles as written in the Commentary?
10. What is odd about the way Kinbote tells the story of Gradus?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Reflection is a major motif of the fictional poem "Pale Fire," and in the novel's commentary and foreword.
Give specific examples of Nabokov's use of reflection as it pertains to looking back at past events?
How does Nabokov use reflection in terms of mirror images or opposites?
How do these two interpretations of reflection work together in Shade's writing, and Kinbote's commentary?
Essay Topic 2
Compare the way Charles Kinbote portrays himself vs. the way he is viewed by others. Based on his actions, how would you describe the "real" Charles Kinbote? Based on your description of Kinbote, and the difference in the way he is perceived by others compared to his view of himself, write an essay commenting on Nabokov's choice to have a person like this narrate the story instead of writing the novel with a third-person omniscient narrator describing Kinbote, his treatment of "Pale Fire" and his relationships with the other characters in the novel.
Essay Topic 3
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?
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This section contains 795 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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