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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. Where does Frederic hope to meet Marie Arnoux every time he walks through it?

2. Where does Frederic speculate that the beautiful woman may have come from?

3. Which character does Frederic commission Pellerin to paint a life-size portrait of?

4. What is Dussardier's most prized possession?

5. Frederic is worried about his appearance as he goes to visit Dambreuse until he remembers which fact about him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What business proposition do Hussonet and Deslauriers bring to Frederic? How does Frederic respond?

2. What conflict does Frederic have when he finally receives his long-awaited invitation from the Dambreuses? How is it resolved?

3. Whom does Frederic go to call upon when he first returns to Paris? Why does he have difficulty finding this person? Who helps Frederic locate this person?

4. Who is Dussardier? Why is he taken to prison? What does Frederic give him to replace his most prized possession?

5. What is Sénécal's objection to Jacques Arnoux in Chapter 5? What does Sénecal believe the purpose of art to be?

6. What kind of trouble does Frederic discover Arnoux is experiencing? With whom does he discuss this? What does he learn?

7. What does Pellerin do for a living? What type of books does he read? What is the secret he is trying to discover? Why?

8. What is Deslauriers' reaction to Frederic's love for Madame Arnoux? What is Deslauriers' opinion of Marie Arnoux when he sees her in the Law Courts?

9. What situation precludes Frederic and Deslauriers from realizing their plans together? What is Frederic's reaction to his news?

10. Whom does Frederic immediately go to visit when he hears that Jacques Arnoux has gone to Germany? What surprise is waiting for him? Where is the person he was looking for?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Art is a significant theme in A Sentimental Education. What type of literature does Frederic aspire to write at the beginning of the novel? What is Pellerin's opinion about the purpose of art? How does this differ from Sénécal's opinion? What statement does A Sentimental Education make about art? How is art related to money in this novel?

Essay Topic 2

Money has a significant role throughout A Sentimental Education. Give three examples from the novel in which money significantly alters the plot of the novel and directly affects the protagonist. How is money a characteristic of the Realist novel?

Essay Topic 3

Revenge is a major theme in A Sentimental Education. Give two examples of acts of revenge in the novel. Why do the characters seek revenge on one another? How does money factor in to these acts of revenge?

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