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. What city did Pnin end up in 1919?

2. In Chapter 2, Pnin comes downstairs to complain about some annoyances. What does he see a fellow professor doing at the party?

3. Who helps Pnin to salvage his trip in Chapter 1?

4. Why doesn't Laurence want Pnin to stay in his house?

5. Where is Pnin's office located at the college?

Short Essay Questions

1. What subject does Pnin have no desire to teach?

2. What is an example of one of Pnin's less pleasant quirks? Describe in detail.

3. What does the library request of Pnin in Chapter 3?

4. Describe Pnin's fellow professor, Oleg Komarov.

5. How well does Pnin speak English? Describe in detail.

6. What does Pnin almost encounter when he comes down the stairs during the Clementses' party in Chapter 2?

7. What happens to Pnin at the bus station that has been happening since he was a child?

8. How does Pnin meet and marry Liza?

9. What does Pnin have a fascination with, like many Russians, that gets him lost?

10. What happens during Pnin's class that is embarrassing in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pnin's situation is almost somewhat hopeless and the reader can't help but feel sad for him. Analyze the theme of Pnin's misfortunes in life. What does the narrator say about Pnin's misfortunes in life? Is Pnin the cause of his own misfortunes? Is his situation with Liza hopeless? Why does Pnin comply with her? Is he the cause of most of his misfortunes?

Essay Topic 2

Description is the fiction-writing mode for creating a mental image of a story. Examine the use of description in "Pnin". How does the author use narration, dialogue, and imagery to bring his novel to life? What is the best example of the use of description from the novel "Pnin"?

Essay Topic 3

The beginning of "Pnin" is somewhat lighthearted and even humorous, and then the tone of the novel changes somewhat by the end. Examine the use of tone in the novel "Pnin", describing how it changes throughout the novel. How does the author set the tone in "Pnin"? How is this tone important for the overall mood of the story? What is the tone in "Pnin"? Does this tone seem to go well with the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 910 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample