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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. Why are the Pericands forced to stop in a small town that is full of Parisian refugees?

2. How are the Michauds ultimately forced to travel to Tours?

3. Why does Gabriel Corte refuse to sleep in the hotel room offered to him?

4. What does the senior Monsieur Pericand realize he needs to do once he is wrapped up and put in the car?

5. How many children are in the family in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the feelings of Hubert Pericand about the war between Germany and France.

2. Describe the character of Gabriel Corte.

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

4. According to the conversation between Hortense, Jules, and Aline, what are their feelings toward the rich?

5. In the opening of the novel, what is happening in Paris and what are the attitudes of the citizens?

6. What does Jeanne Michaud see while on the road to Tours that makes her cry and why does it affect her?

7. What is the status of Jean-Marie Michauds health in Chapter 24?

8. How does Chapter 20, with the scene of the cat in the garden, contrast with Chapter 21, as the Pericands flee the burning village?

9. Describe the character of Charlotte Pericand.

10. What is Maurice Michaud's view of the migration and his feelings regarding his situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, we see the development of the characters, and lack thereof, through their experiences and situations. Discuss how the war is the catalyst of change for the individual characters in the novel. How do the experiences of the characters and the situations in which the war finds them in bring out the true nature of the characters? Provide examples with the development of at least three characters.

Essay Topic 2

Choose two of the main characters of the novel. Compare and contrast the personalities, experiences, and development of these characters. What do we learn from these characters? Do the characters ever cross paths in the novel? If so, what happens to the characters as a result of their interaction?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of religion is subtle but used throughout the novel. Example of instances of allusion to religion can be found in the character of Philippe Pericand, who is a Catholic priest, Charlotte Pericand and her Christian "charity," Madame Craquant and praying for the dead in Nimes, and in the arrival of the Germans to the village of Bussy on Easter Sunday. Discuss the theme of religion and its importance in the novel.

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