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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. Which groups of people exchange positions rapidly in this changed world?

2. For whose victory must we hope?

3. When Camus writes '. . . like red beasts', he is using which literary device?

4. What had changed Camus' life in September, 1939?

5. What misconception of himself does the artist have?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way is Camus' comments about Algerian youth tempered by sadness?

2. What attitudes and feelings does Camus convey to the reader in the opening paragraphs of his essay 'Return to Tipasa'?

3. Comment on the force of the phrase 'indulge in a swim' rather than 'go for a swim'.

4. What has Camus to say about the shops in Oran?

5. Can the artist remain aloof from the world he comments upon, depicts and criticizes?

6. In what way did the philosopher Socrates demonstrate his lack of intellectual arrogance?

7. What must modern man do if he is to recapture the mindset of Ancient Greece and be truly civilized?

8. What is suggested about the Algiers community by Camus' reference to the colors seen on the beaches in summer?

9. Explain the attraction the desert has for thinking human beings.

10. In what respects does Camus state that Algiers is capable of gratifying every human wish?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the idea that Camus' essay Summer in Algiers is a celebration of youth in North Africa. You will need to consider if this is so, or if the statement goes too far. Are Camus' comments and assessments positive? Are they biased? Are they balanced? What yardstick does Camus apply when making his observations?

Essay Topic 2

What is your attitude to Camus' definition of the absurd? Do you think his argument is valid? What is your opinion of the examples he gives? Would you be likely to argue from a different point of view? Why or why not? Call your essay 'My response th the absurd'.

Essay Topic 3

Account for Camus' interest in the work of Russian writer Dostoevsly. For what reasons does Camus choose to refer frequently to this novelist? To what extent is an appreciation of Dostoevsky required to understand Camus' position on The Absurd?

(see the answer keys)

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