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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. When does the narrator say his mother did not kiss him goodnight as a small child?

2. What does the narrator buy a picture of for himself at the beginning of the new year in "Mme. Swann at Home"?

3. What happens when Swann takes Odette on vacation in "Swann In Love"?

4. What does Bergotte say about Berma in "Mme. Swann at Home"?

5. In "Combray," where does the narrator often read?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens the night Odette tells Swann she isn't feeling well and sends him home early?

2. In "Overture," how does the narrator describe his sleep?

3. Why is the narrator not allowed to return to Champs-Elysees?

4. What does M. Vinteuil do with his compositions in "Combray" that the narrator finds funny?

5. How is M. Swann associated with the narrator's family?

6. In "Combray," why does the narrator read a lot?

7. How does the narrator feel about Bergotte?

8. What happens when Swann spends time away from Odette in "Swann In Love"?

9. What does the narrator do every day at Champs-Elysees in "Place-Names"?

10. In "Overture," when M. Swann comes for dinner, what ploy for his mother's attention does the narrator devise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mme. Swann is a woman with a reputation. Explain how her reputation creates her value in the eyes of the other characters. What does she symbolize for her society and times?

Essay Topic 2

The narrator is almost always preoccupied with social class standing. Explain the cause and effect of this obsession. Why is social class such an important issue? How does the narrator resolve his desire to raise his class?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the major events that occur while the narrator and his grandmother travel to Balbec. Select three places they visit and explain the importance of each. What do these places symbolize? What happens there that changes this novel? What is so significant about Balbec?

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