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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. How does Mrs. Kloterjahn get on with the other patients in general?

2. When did Mrs. Kloterjahn first become ill?

3. How does Mr. Spinell respond to Mrs. Kloterjahn's comments about his sleeping habits?

4. What color is Mrs. Kloterjahn’s hair?

5. Who is the second character introduced?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mrs. Kloterjahn seem to feel about Mr. Spinell?

2. When is Mr. Spinell sociable?

3. Why has one of the other patients nicknamed Mr. Spinell the “Rotten Infant”?

4. How do we know that Mr. Kloterjahn is an Anglophile?

5. What seems to be Dr. Leander’s opinion of Mr. Spinell?

6. Why doesn’t Dr. Leander consult with Dr. Muller on Gabriele’s case?

7. What is the one imperfection in Gabriele Kloterjahn’s face?

8. Why does Mr. Spinell say that he is staying at Einfried?

9. Why does Mr. Spinell look at beautiful women out of the corner of his eye?

10. Why is Mr. Kloterjahn grateful that his wife’s condition does not stem from the lungs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novella ends with a conflict between Mr. Kloterjahn and Mr. Spinell. How does this come about? What issues do the two men have with each other? Compare and contrast their characters and the endings that the novella provides for each man.

Essay Topic 2

The novella takes its title from the legend of Tristan and Isolde, although the legend is never mentioned by name in the text. How does the legend relate to the novella? Does it work as a metaphor? Why or why not? Why might Mann have chosen a title that stems from this legend?

Essay Topic 3

The novella takes place entirely in Einfried, a sanitarium. Why did Mann choose this setting for his novella? How might the novella be different if the setting were changed? What significance does the sanitarium have for the novella? What does it represent?

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This section contains 567 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample