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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. Why are many families not allowed to attend the funerals of loved ones?

2. With what does Dr. Rieux treat this patient?

3. Why is M. Othon's release from camp delayed?

4. What does the Prefect order?

5. Where is Grand taken for treatment?

Short Essay Questions

1. Account for the difference tenor and content of Fr Paneloux's new sermon, compared with that he gave at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer.

2. Explain the poignancy of Dr. Rieux's walk through the streets.

3. What gives the people cause for hope in Part 5 Chapter 1?

4. Explain the significance of The Plague's final paragraph.

5. What do you think has led Dr. Rieux to unburden himself to Grand?

6. Why is there a steady supply of workers taking care of burials?

7. Has Cottard really gained from his profiteering during the plague?

8. Which characters now volunteer as plague workers?

9. What is unusual about Tarrou's illness?

10. What is the significance of M. Grand's struggle against the plague in Part 4 Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Rambert and Rieux. In what ways do these characters develop during the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

'The Plague shows us the way people deal with adversity.' People's responses to adversity are affected by their strength of character, or the lack thereof, as well as their outlook on life. Examine the popular responses to the plague situation and compare these with Dr. Rieux's.

Essay Topic 3

The Plague depicts people coping with a terrible crisis. It is concerned with separation and loss. Choose three characters from the novel and discuss the way each of them deals with separation and loss.

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