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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. As Doctor Magiot and Brown are talking, Petit Pierre arrives. Why does he come?

2. When Mr. and Mrs. Smith arrive at the hotel, what room do they stay in?

3. When Brown disembarks from the Medea, why is Martha sitting in the place she used to rendezvous with him?

4. Why do Brown and the Secretary of the Interior converse briefly in French?

5. Though this occurs before the story starts, why did Brown fly to New York?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part 1, Chapter 5, the small funeral entourage that drives to Petionville to bury Doctor Philipot is in a great hurry. Why is this? How does this tie in with the doctor's death?

2. When Captain Concasseur returns to Haiti, his single goal is to catch Jones. How is this fitting to Jones's character? What about to the character of Haitian politics?

3. From a literary aspect, what is the effect of portraying Jones as an actor who has not learned his lines well? Why does the author use this characterization throughout the book?

4. In Part 1, Chapter 3, why does Brown tell the story of his lost virginity? How does his youthful past tie into his present relationship?

5. Brown worries that Martha enjoys Jones's company, especially when she says it is because he makes the family laugh. Why is Brown so concerned? Does he feel that his relationship with Martha is threatened because of Jones?

6. In Part 1, Chapter 2, how is Brown and Martha's relationship portrayed? What is the irony of their situation?

7. When Angel has the mumps, Brown visits him at Martha's insistence, and this is the only time the two people interact for any length of time. What is the effect of this meeting? How is Angel portrayed?

8. The Smiths knew that when Mr. Smith ran for president, he had very little chance of succeeding. Why are they still proud that he ran? How does this pride explain their characters?

9. In Part 1, Chapter 5, Brown notes that he cannot remember Martha's voice, though he can picture her handwriting. What clue does this give the reader about their relationship?

10. Both the Secretary of State and Jones are confused by the idea that Jones would be charged with something. How is this indicative of Haitian politics? How does Brown's narration of the scene explain his view of it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look back through the novel at the main characters. Have any of them changed? If so, how? Has the book simply progressed through a period of time, or has it traced the development of particular characters?

Essay Topic 2

Brown often defines characters by their race, which seems also to determine their social standing. Is Brown trying to explain the world, or is he simply presenting the Haitian culture as it existed? What other pieces of the story present uniquely Haitian culture?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the main female characters in The Comedians, Martha and Mrs. Smith. How are they in many ways completely opposite? How does fidelity in their respective marriages change their characters?

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