View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Madre Badessa offer Margot?

2. With whom does Volmaro say he had made an agreement about the book?

3. What does Sandro appreciate about Margot?

4. What does Sandro think Margot has figured out?

5. To what is Margot very drawn?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Margot set up a false trail for auctioning Aretino?

2. What does Madre Badessa say about Aretino?

3. What does Margot decide about leaving Florence and then what makes her change her decision?

4. Relate Sandro's story about his love for a movie star when he was young.

5. When is Margot ready for the final phase of restoring Aretino; where does she go for help in this phase and what does she do?

6. How does Sandro rationalize his deciding not to propose to Margot?

7. What has Margot done to restore Aretino?

8. How does Margot learn that Sandro has deceived her about Volmaro and what does Margot decide to do about selling the book to Volmaro?

9. Besides not wanting to leave Sandro, why else is Margot reluctant to leave Florence?

10. How does Sandro shock Margot a couple weeks after the fresco removal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Margot refers to the poem her mother had loved by Robert Frost entitled "The Road Not Taken." Margot realizes that there is no "other road." Her only life is the one that she is living now. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze and give a reader response to Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." Consider such things as imagery, metaphor, syntax, rhythm, and of course, meaning.

2. Take your analysis of "The Road Not Taken" and trace and analyze how it is relevant to The Sixteen Pleasures. What characters are most concerned with the road not taken? What character(s) have irretrievably lost something important by taking a different fork? What character(s) cannot recover from a poor choice made at various forks?

3. Discuss one or two of your own "roads not taken." Do you still regret taking one road versus another in a particular situation? Do you think it would be good to let go? Can you go back and travel the other road? What "difference" has the choice made for you?

Essay Topic 2

Setting as far as place and time play an important role in The Sixteen Pleasures. Discuss the following:

1. Compare/contrast several aspects of the setting of that time (1966s) from how it would be today. Consider things such as cultural norms/expectations, technology, religion and medicine.

2. Do you think The Sixteen Pleasures would be different if it were set in the United States? Consider the cultural differences as you discuss the way the story would change is set in the United States.

3. Discuss some of the differences between the United States and Italy of the late 1960s, as far as the relationship between men and women and gender expectations. What are some similarities? (This essay topic will require some research).

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a novel is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think The Sixteen Pleasures is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,389 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample