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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 was the name of Samuel Pozzi's mother?

2. How old was Jules-Hippolyte Percher when he was killed?

3. When were many Pozzis burned to death for their faith in the Protestant temple of Teglio?

4. Who wrote The Picture, in which he defined "dandyism"?

5. What gift did Pozzi receive from Montesquiou in June of 1884?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Oscar Wilde put on trial? What was the outcome?

2. Who was James Abbott McNeill Whistler?

3. Who was Edmond de Goncourt?

4. Who was Marcel Proust?

5. Who was Jean Lorrain?

6. What is the novel A Rebours about?

7. Give a brief bio of Dr. Pozzi. When was he born? When did he die? What was his profession?

8. What is known about Montesquiou's sexual exploits, according to the author?

9. What painting inspired the author to write this book? Why?

10. From where do the portraits of a number of celebrities in the book arise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of sexuality in The Man in the Red Coat. What individuals in this biography are described as likely homosexual? Why? How was homosexuality perceived at this time? What laws banned homosexual acts and how frequently were they invoked?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the novel A Rebours. Why does this novel reappear frequently in The Man with the Red Coat? Who wrote the novel? What is it about?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of family and infidelity in The Man in the Red Coat. How does the author develop these themes through his characterizations? How are they developed through action and setting? What symbols relate to these themes?

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