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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. What does Kristeva say Celine's depictions of females all lean toward?

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 Celine's "Rigadoon," the work of the writer is compared to the patience of what?

5. In "Journey to the End of the Night," the narrator says that "the truth of this world is to" what?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Kristeva say Celine displaced the mother in his depiction of very young girls?

3. In what ways that Kristeva points out do Celine's writings differ from Jewish ideas?

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

5. How does Kristeva say Celine's work represents the division caused by economic inequality?

6. Describe Celine's mother type of character.

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

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

9. How did Celine use strong women in his works?

10. How does Kristeva seem to feel about Celine's Nazism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the theme of language throughout the book. What does Kristeva seem to think about language and how it can be used? What reason does Kristeva give for why the abject exists outside of language? How can people relate to the abject if not through language? What do you think is the purpose of trying to explain the abject through an essay if it can cannot be felt through words?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Kristeva's reasoning for saying Celine's Nazism should not deter from the value of his work. What does Kristeva say about Celine's Nazism? Why does she say it need not detract from his writings? Does it seem like she is making excuses, or is what she says valid? What techniques does Kristeva use to convey her views on his Nazism?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role of Sigmund Freud in the book. How does Kristeva make use of his ideas? How do her ideas relate to his? How are they different? Describe two instances where she explains his view on a subject and expands upon it.

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