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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 Nabokov's family live until his father's death in 1922?

2. Of what are Nabokov's memories in a Russian setting?

3. What is memorable about this first memory?

4. What is Nabokov's favorite medium?

5. Why does Nabokov's father force the family to leave a sidewalk cafe?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a difficulty that Russian writers endure?

2. Why is Nabokov angry with the Bolsheviks? What is the cause of this anger?

3. What happens to the family once they leave Russia?

4. Nabokov's uncle, Vasiliy Ivanovich, is a diplomat and a dreamer, who occupies one of the estates near St. Petersburg when not abroad. What story does Nabokov recall about his uncle?

5. How does Nabokov meet Mademoiselle after she leaves Russia?

6. The aristocratic Nabokov house is stocked with English and French amenities. What are some of the amenities?

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

8. Why does Mademoiselle want to leave the family?

9. How does Nabokov describe the poet?

10. Nabokov reveals that his mind always associates sounds with colors. How does his mother react to this unusual sensibility?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

This autobiographical work ends with the family leaving on a boat for the United States.

Part 1) What might be the reason they decide to immigrate to the United States?

Part 2) What struggles might the family encounter? Why?

Part 3) Will Nabokov be successful in the United States? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

What is significant about Nabokov's time spent in Biarritz? What does one learn about his character and view of women?

(see the answer keys)

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