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 is it about Victor that troubles his parents?

2. In Chapter 6, what do pranksters vandalize in the humanities building?

3. When does Victor go to visit Pnin in Chapter 4?

4. At the party in Chapter 5, what book does Pnin end up getting into an argument with Bolotov over?

5. In Chapter 4, who does Pnin now rent a house from?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the character of Victor.

2. Who are some of the people that Pnin invites to his housewarming party in Chapter 6?

3. Who runs St. Bartholomew's? Describe in detail.

4. How popular are Pnin's classes and how stable is his teaching position?

5. What is Pnin worried that he might have broken at the end of Chapter 6?

6. What are a few examples of what the students at Waindell College do at the beginning of every year?

7. What does Victor Wind fantasize about during school?

8. Who is Al Cook's wife and why do they not have children?

9. Why is Pnin somewhat sad after visiting with Betty Bliss?

10. Who are a few of the people who are attending the party in Chapter 5 with whom Pnin is acquainted?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research the Bolshevik Revolution and study how it could have affected Pnin. What is a revolution? Why did the Bolshevik Revolution happen? What year did the Bolshevik Revolution occur? Who was Vladimir Lenin and what did he have to do with the Bolshevik Revolution? Why would Pnin want to leave Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution?

Essay Topic 2

The author of "Pnin" emphasizes a certain amount of dullness in the academic life. Examine the premise of dullness of academic life in the novel "Pnin". Does this dull feeling fit Pnin's personality and character? Are the other professors at the college depicted as dull? What do the students do that is the same every year? How are the butterflies depicted? Why does this particularly year have a dark undertone?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter Four, the author makes a subtle satire of science. Satire is mainly a literary genre or structure. Examine the use of satire in the novel "Pnin". How does the author use satire with science and why? What point is the author trying to make? How does the use of satire affect the overall tone of the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 825 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample