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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. In "Death on the Installment Plan," who teaches the narrator to read?

2. Kristeva quotes Celine as saying slang is a language of what?

3. Chapter 8 "Those Females Who Wreck the Infinite" begins with a quote by whom?

4. Celine followed what political affiliation?

5. In which of Celine's books does his character Molly appear?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kristeva say the hatred of Jews act as a metaphor for the abject?

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

3. Describe Celine's mother type of character.

4. How did Celine seem to feel about the French language and the English language?

5. How does Kristeva say Celine seemed to feel about human identities?

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

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

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

9. How, according to Kristeva, do Celine's works draw the reader to their primal repressions?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Explore the use of rites and laws in the book. Why does Kristeva make use of these concepts? What are they examples of? How do rites and laws attempt to combat the abject? What does Kristeva seem to think of these rites and laws?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the concept of the "zero-state" in young children. What does Kristeva mean when she talks about the zero state? What happens when a child starts to come out of the zero state? What are some of the fears and desires that a young, pre-cognitive child might have? How do the fears and desires sync up with Freud's model of the Oedipal triangle? How do they go against it?

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