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. At the end of chapter 1, what poem does Pnin recall reciting in front of the entire school when he was a child?

2. How old was Pnin when he left his home country?

3. Whom does Mrs. Clements tell she is looking to rent out her room?

4. How soon after Mrs. Clements tells Pnin he can stay at their house does Pnin arrive?

5. What brings Pnin to tears at the end of Chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Pnin meet and marry Liza?

2. What word does Pnin look up in the dictionary and why?

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

4. Where is Pnin a professor at in Chapter 1?

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

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

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

8. What procedure does Pnin have done in Chapter 2 that leaves him very pleased?

9. What happens when Pnin calls the Clementses to rent the room in their house?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The setting in "Pnin" is important to the tone and shape of the story. Analyze the use of setting in "Pnin". How did Vladimir Nabokov describe his setting? How is the setting almost considered a character in the story? How is Pnin's social environment considered a part of the setting?

Essay Topic 2

The author gives many details about Pnin's personality through description and with flashbacks. Analyze the use of flashbacks used in the novel "Pnin". How does the use of flashbacks help to develop the characters? Are the flashbacks used in "Pnin" important for the development of his character? Are flashbacks confusing or helpful?

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 948 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample