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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 difficulty does the restaurant manager encounter when serving the wine?

2. What is Paul's biggest complaint about the aperitif?

3. Which statement best describes Serge and Babette's three children?

4. What office is Serge running for?

5. Why are the couples able to reserve a table on short notice?

Short Essay Questions

1. To what films does Paul compare the setting and people of Dordogne in Chapter 12?

2. What does Paul say about his feelings of corn in Chapter 16?

3. From what narrative perspective is the novel related? Why is this important?

4. How does Paul describe his brother's eating behavior?

5. How does Paul describe the people of Dordogne in Chapter 12?

6. How is Rick's behavior described in the video?

7. How is the arrival of Serge and Babette at the restaurant described?

8. Why does Michel call his father while he his at the restaurant?

9. Where do Paul and Claire go before the restaurant? Why?

10. What explanation does Serge give to Paul regarding Babette's behavior in Chapter 15? Is he telling the truth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is ultimately responsible for the homeless woman's death? What does the novel attempt to communicate about society's responsibility towards its most vulnerable populations? What is the role of the privileged classes?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of Paul as an example of an unreliable narrator. What aspects of Paul's narrative come into question? Why? How would this novel differ if Paul were a reliable narrator, or if the story were related from a third-person perspective?

Essay Topic 3

Explore and evaluate Claire and Michel's "solution." Why do you think the author chose to have the final decisive actions taken by characters other than the narrator? What would be Paul's solution to the problem?

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