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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 cure does the doctor recommend for Virginie's nervous complaint?

2. Who offers advice about where Paul should go to school?

3. Where is Mme. Aubain's house located?

4. Who does Félicité find while she is in Trouville?

5. What does Virginie do while the family is on their outing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the scene with the bull and explain why you think it is important.

2. Why do you think that it struck Félicité as wrong that Mme. Aubain should die before she did?

3. Think back on the story as a whole. What do you think is the major theme and why?

4. How does Félicité begin to confuse or associate the parrot with the Holy Spirit?

5. Why do you think Flaubert has Félicité run all the way to say goodbye to Victor only to miss him at the last?

6. Why do you think Félicité is hurt by people's jokes about Loulou?

7. What is the irony of Félicité's long search for Loulou?

8. Why do you think Mme. Aubain shakes slightly when she sees Félicité respond to the news of her nephew's death?

9. What are some examples of times when Félicité has been abused or disregarded? Describe them and explain how she is being treated poorly.

10. What is your impression of Mme. Simon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The scene of Félicité's death juxtaposes her personal experience and a very public religious celebration. Consider why Flaubert chose to represent her death in this context. How does the procession impact the way we read and understand Félicité's passing?

Essay Topic 2

In this text, the sacred is frequently paired with the worldly. This is certainly true in Félicité's room and in her religious impressions, but there are also traces of it elsewhere. Where else can you see this mix of the religious and the secular? What do you think Flaubert might have meant by it? Be sure to support your analysis with specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Love is an important theme in "A Simple Heart." How could you argue that love is actually the central subject of this story?

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