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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In which of Celine's books does the narrator say, "A beautiful shroud embroidered with tales--that's what the Pale Lady wants"?
(a) Trifles for a Massacre.
(b) Death on the Installment Plan.
(c) Journey to the End of the Night.
(d) School of Corpses.

2. What act of depravity does Kristeva point out that Celine uses in relation with very young girls to revolt his reader?
(a) Alcoholism.
(b) Pedophilia.
(c) Murder.
(d) Theft.

3. In Celine's "Rigadoon," the work of the writer is compared to the patience of what?
(a) Ants.
(b) Owls.
(c) Cats.
(d) Saints.

4. Chapter 9 "Ours to Jew or Die" begins with a quote that was taken from a letter written to whom?
(a) Milton Hindus.
(b) Sigmund Freud.
(c) Sholem Asch.
(d) Charles Reznikoff.

5. In which of Celine's works is dizziness a motif?
(a) Trifles for a Massacre.
(b) School of Corpses.
(c) Journey to the End of the Night.
(d) Death on the Installment Plan.

Short Answer Questions

1. One of the chief themes of Celine's work is the struggle between what groups?

2. Kristeva says Celine saw his home country as becoming dominated by a secret conspiracy by whom?

3. Kristeva says literature undermines itself when it attempts to analyze what?

4. In what year was Celine's pamphlet "L'Ecole des cadavres" published?

5. Celine's doctoral dissertation dealt with what topic?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why would Celine's work not be considered abject when he was actively writing them?

2. What does Kristeva say makes literature "abject"?

3. What does Kristeva say Celine felt was the foundation of human existence?

4. Why does Kristeva say it makes sense that Celine would say his style was the most important part of his writing?

5. Why does Kristeva say it is rash to ignore any value one might find in the Anti-Semitism in Celine's work?

6. How does Kristeva say Celine captures the abject in his writing?

7. Describe Celine's mother type of character.

8. Why might Kristeva say many of Celine's stylistic choices be called anti-linguistic or anti-grammatical?

9. What does Kristeva mean when she says Celine's language exhibits a fascination with what might be called "binary" speech?

10. Why does Kristeva say her reading of Celine will not be a thematic one?

(see the answer keys)

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