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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. How does Mademoiselle provide Vladimir with an extra hour or two out of the darkness?

2. With what is the aristocratic Nabokov house stocked?

3. What has Nabokov always had difficulty doing?

4. What is happening to the science of butterflies at this time?

5. What mystifies the two boys about Mademoiselle?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Nabokov's favorite Captain Mayne Reid novel? Why?

2. What are Vladimir and Colette caught doing?

3. How is Nabokov's experience at Cambridge?

4. How does his butterfly hobby affect his life?

5. What does the Russian revolution do to most of Russia's writers and artists?

6. What does he learn about himself, regarding Russian poets?

7. Who is Kirill?

8. What is cause is Vladimir's passion?

9. How does Nabokov describe the poet?

10. What happens to the Greek tutor, Ordo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nabokov has always had difficulty sleeping.

Part 1) Why?

Part 2) What is the purpose of an autobiography?

Part 3) What is the purpose of this autobiography?

Essay Topic 2

However, even though Nabokov despises the Bolsheviks, he is determined to retain his Russian identity and to become proficient as a Russian author.

Part 1) Why is this important to him?

Part 2) How is becoming a Russian novelist a struggle at Cambridge?

Part 3) Predict where his works will be more popular, in Russia or Western Europe and the United States? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Part of this autobiography observes the beginnings of Nabokov's literary talents.

Part 1) How do we first catch a glimpse of his talent as a writer?

Part 2) What is his process for creating his writing, at this stage in his life?

Part 3) How might the encouragement he receives from his family affect his writing career later in life?

(see the answer keys)

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