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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 Desiderio find himself constantly struggling to recognize in Chapter 1, The City Under Siege?

2. What does Desiderio's fiance begin doing after the engagement in Chapter 3, The River People?

3. Which among the females in the circus did Desiderio befriend in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire?

4. Of what heritage is Desiderio?

5. Where does Desiderio go to hide in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Desiderio begin to integrate into his new society in Chapter 3, The River People?

2. What does Desiderio discover after leaving his cave in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire? What is his reaction?

3. What story does Nao-Kurai tell Desiderio before the wedding in Chapter 3, The River People?

4. How does Desiderio escape in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight? From where does he escape?

5. What does Desiderio expect of his engagement in Chapter 3, The River People? What reality does he find?

6. What disguise does Desiderio don in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire? What is his reaction to the setting in this chapter?

7. Who does Desiderio go to for advice regarding his engagement in Chapter 3, The River People? What happens?

8. What "hallucination" does Desiderio experience in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight?

9. Who does Desiderio find floating in the river in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight? What discovery does this lead to?

10. Who raised Desiderio? How did his heritage shape his character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What led to the Count's murder of a prostitute in Louisiana? Who has been pursuing him since this event? How does this add to the conflicts in the plot?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of "identity" as it applies to the character of Albertina in the narrative. How do Albertina and her various disguises represent this theme?

Essay Topic 3

Compare Alberta with Desiderio's previous lovers in the text. What similarities does Alberta share with Mary Anne and Aoi? What differences are there?

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