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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. How does the mother die in the novel?

2. After they return to France, who lives with the mother?

3. What happened between the older brother and Dô?

4. In segments 5 and 6, as well as other parts of the novel, which characteristics best describe narrator?

5. Where did the family go after the father's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the lover fear that the narrator wants from the relationship, and how does the narrator respond?

2. Describe the mother's behavior toward her daughter's conduct during the height of her relationship with the lover in segments 15 and 16.

3. What is the social and economic status of the lover when the narrator meets him?

4. How does the lover feel about the narrator at the end of the relationship?

5. How was Dô, the family servant, treated by the family, and how did she react to this treatment?

6. What does the relationship do to the couple with reference to society?

7. Why does the narrator find the lover uncovered in front of her family?

8. What happens to the lover after the narrator leaves for France?

9. Describe the sequence of events that lead up to the narrator meeting the lover.

10. Notice the difference in the mother and narrator's opinions of photography. What is the difference, and what does it point out about the difference in these characters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Child prostitution is an undertone throughout the novel. Explain what exchanges are being made and why the relationship would be considered child prostitution. Who benefits from this situation? Who loses?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the positive and negative factors in the relationship between the narrator and the lover. How are the lives of the narrator and the lover impacted by their relationship? What are the societal implications of their relationship in the time it took place? Also, discuss the implications of a similar relationship in present day.

Essay Topic 3

The author chooses to write her novel in a form of narrative style that shifts back and forth in time. What are the effects of this kind of writing? How does this narrative style aid the reader in the comprehension of the novel? Is this type of narrative style ineffective for writing a novel dealing with such a lengthy period of time?

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