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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 Hortense call Gabriel Corte?

2. What does Gabriel Corte offer the passing soldier in return for his kindness to Florence?

3. Which of the following best describe Charles Langelet?

4. What have the local stores run out of in the small town the Pericands are in?

5. What happens only seconds after the Pericands' cat slips back through the window?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the feeling of the townspeople when the Germans finally arrive in the town where Arlette Corail is staying?

2. How does Charlotte Pericand treat her father-in-law and why?

3. What does Philippe Pericand volunteer to do when the citizens of Paris begin to evacuate the city?

4. What has Hubert Pericand decided to do concerning the war and why?

5. Why do the orphans turn on Father Philippe so violently?

6. What more is revealed about Charlotte Pericand in Chapter 21?

7. What is the atmosphere of Paris and among its citizens in Chapters 5 and 6?

8. What happens between Charles Langelet and the young couple he meets on the road?

9. Describe the Pericand's charity in Chapter 10 and why it comes to an abrupt stop.

10. What are Philippe Pericand's feelings toward the children of the Children's Home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nemirovsky does not launch into extensive descriptions of her characters but rather allows her characters to reveal their own personalities, as well as the relationships they have with other characters. How do the characters in the novel accomplish this? How do we learn about the characters through the action in the novel? What do we learn about the characters through their relationships with other characters? What does this do for the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the attitudes of the poor toward the rich. These attitudes are largely expressed through Hortense Gaillard and her traveling party and the other servants of the novel. What are these people's opinions of the rich? Does the fact that they work for the rich factor into their opinions? Do the poor have a harder time making it during the war? Provide examples.

Essay Topic 3

The novel opens in June and the weather and scenery are described throughout the novel as variations of lovely. Discuss the contrast between the weather and war. Why does the author constantly remind the reader of the nice weather? How does the weather affect the moods of the characters and the novel? How did the author put an emphasis on this connection by naming the first part of the novel Storm in June? Also, discuss the connection between the blossoming of spring in the second part of the novel with the blossoming of the love between Lucile and Bruno. Provide description and examples.

(see the answer keys)

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