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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 Joncour notice when his wife comes to kiss him goodnight?

2. On the fourth trip to Japan, how does Joncour finally get silk eggs?

3. Where is the event held that Helene and Joncour attend on the Riviera?

4. What does Joncour find on Helene's grave 2 months after she dies?

5. After his last trip to Japan, how does the town view Joncour?

Short Essay Questions

1. The letter describes a sexual encounter but eludes to fact that it has already happened? What does this mean?

2. Helene runs after Baldabiou at the train station and they embrace and she cries. What does this tell the reader about their relationship? Do you think something happened?

3. On the fourth trip to Japan, when Joncour offers gold to Hara Kei, what is he buying?

4. For the fourth trip to Japan, who makes the decision to go? Why is this startling? Why does Baldabiou lie to everyone except Helene about the trip?

5. Why do Joncour and Helene name a daughter Agnes? What is this referring to? Who is this a tribute to?

6. Why does the author describe the train trip so vividly returning from Japan on the fourth trip? What is the significance of the heat that Joncour sees on the fields and with the other passengers? What is he watching happening?

7. Why do you think Madame Blanche wants to forget about her native language? Why does she make Joncour promise to never return to her for a translation?

8. What happens the morning after Hara Kei's party? Why do you think Hara Kei left? How does Joncour find the aviary? What is this saying to Joncour?

9. Why does Helene pretend not to notice the letters when they are clearly in plain sight?

10. When Joncour finally tells Baldabiou about the girl in Japan he says, "To die of nostalgia for something you will never live," what does he mean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do the two English characters, the one in France at the party, and the one in the Japanese village, have in common? How are they different? Why do you think the author introduced these two characters, one in each country, to play off the main characters? What do they bring to the story? How would the story have been different without them?

Essay Topic 2

The character of Baldabiou is very curious, as he lives on the edge of normal life all the time. Describe some of the oddities of Baldabiou and attempt to round out his character by describing where you think he came from and, mostly, where you think he is going at the end of the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Why does the author use the historical character of Louis Pasteur? What does this add to the novel? What about other historical notations? Does this help or hurt the novel in your opinion?

(see the answer keys)

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