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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. Why did the author rule out the possibility of Martin having gone to the university?

2. Sanxi and Pierre were good with numbers, but could not____________.

3. What was the relationship between Sanxi and Martin?

4. How many years was the real Martin gone from Artigat before he returned home?

5. What battle were both Martin and the impostor said to have fought in?

Short Essay Questions

1. We know very little about why Martin left his family and disappeared. Why do you think he decided to leave?

2. Why do you think Bertrande refused to get out of her marriage when she had the chance?

3. Why was France on the verge of a religious civil war?

4. How did Martin's name possibly contribute to his decision to disappear?

5. What did the impostor do that began to upset Pierre?

6. The impostor went to great lengths to "become" Martin. Do you think this is evidence that his goal was to do more than collect an inheritance? Explain your answer.

7. The author speculates in Chapter 4 that the impostor and Martin could have met during the war, but notes that in his confession, the impostor denied having met Martin. What do you think? Could they have met or was the impostor telling the truth? Explain your answers.

8. Women in the 1500's lived a somewhat oppressed existence. They were not included in family or village decisions. Their importance was recognized in their ability to work the fields or do housework and raise children. List one way women are the same today and one way they are different.

9. What ways does the author describe other cases of people taking a false identity?

10. The impostor was methodical in his deception. He took about 3 years to research his role and then began planting information that Martin was back before he contacted Martin's family. Why do you think the impostor was so slow to implement his con?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The real Martin had trouble remembering events and details from his own life. The impostor, Arnaud remembered everything in great detail. Do you find it odd or natural that the person who lived the events would remember them with less clarity? What conclusions can you draw from this information? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Bertrande seems to have easily adapted to each stage of her marriage to Martin. First, when she was forced to marry at a young age, then when she was reunited with the fake Martin, and in the last stage when she was reunited with the real Martin. Surely she must have felt some anxiety in each of those situations, but she seems to have taken the changes in stride. Based on this knowledge, what can we conclude about Bertrande's priorities? Who was she putting first? Why was she so willing to go along with whatever was thrown at her?

Essay Topic 3

In "The Return of Martin Guerre," there are several references to widows preferring to stay widows. The author seems to suggest that being a widow equals freedom for women in the 16th century. What evidence is presented in the book to support this theory? How were women more free without their husbands?

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