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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 makes Algiers different from cities like Paris, Prague and Florence?

2. What had the writer hoped to gain when he first visited Tipasa?

3. For what does Camus criticize Oran?

4. What word does Camus think is meaningless in Algeria?

5. What does the word 'limpid' mean?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Camus mean when he says that the 'tyrannies of today are improved'?

2. Why do you think Camus calls nudists 'those Protestants of the flesh'?

3. Of what does Camus accuse the Marxists in Section III of The Artist and his Time?

4. Does Camus see himself as a romantic?

5. What 'two thirsts' has Camus been able to slake through his visit to Tipasa?

6. What is peculiar about the built environment of Oran, according to Camus?

7. What, according to Camus, is paradoxical about the crowded city of Oran, and crowded cities in general?

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

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

10. To what do love, peace and beauty form the antidote?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role and responsibility of the artist in the modern world. Has anything in the context changed since Camus' death fifty years ago? How politically aware and involved should the artist allow himself or herself to be? What intellectual and physical dangers might be faced by the politically involved artist and should this matter?

Essay Topic 2

'Fame is the spur that leads men on'. Discuss. There are different kinds of fame you could consider. You might consider that perhaps the pursuit of fame is a way some people confirm the significance of their lives. What are the gains to be had through fame? These could be material, but also perhaps spiritual--depending on the type of fame enjoyed.

Essay Topic 3

'It is possible to classify much of Camus' writing as 'prose poetry' because of its poetic qualities.' To what extent would you agree with this comment? Does his writing indeed possess poetic qualities? You will need to look at his use of imagery, figurative language, structure and level of language (diction). This might best be approached by analyzing one or two passages of your choice.

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This section contains 1,025 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample