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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 does the pianist play in Chapter 8?

2. Who does Mr. Spinell see as he walks in Chapter 12?

3. What does Mr. Spinell call Mr. Kloterjahn?

4. What does Mr. Spinell do after hearing the person he sees on his walk laugh in Chapter 12?

5. How does Mr. Spinell ultimately convince the person in Chapter 8 to play the piano?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mr. Spinell describe the scene within his letter in Chapter 10?

2. Why does Mr. Spinell mail the letter as opposed to hand-delivering it?

3. What eventually convinced Gabriele’s father to let her marry Mr. Kloterjahn?

4. Who, according to Mr. Spinell, is to be credited with bringing beauty back into Gabriele’s life?

5. What does Mr. Kloterjahn do in response to Mr. Spinell's letter?

6. Why do Mrs. Kloterjahn and Mr. Spinell choose to stay back from the sleigh ride?

7. How does Mr. Spinell leave the final scene?

8. What does Mr. Kloterjahn finally admit was the causes of Gabriele’s illness?

9. What story does Mr. Spinell want to tell in the letter he composes in Chapter 10?

10. What does Mr. Spinell see on his walk at the end of the book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mr. Spinell believes himself to be in love with Gabriele. What does this say about his character? What does this say about their relationship? Do we, as readers, believe that he truly loves and understands Gabriele? Why or why not? Does she feel the same way about him?

Essay Topic 2

Mann uses the third person omniscient perspective in Tristan. What does this point of view add stylistically and thematically to the novella? How would the novella be changed if the perspective were changed?

Essay Topic 3

Mr. Spinell, seemingly uncontrollably, idealizes certain aspects of the world and certain people in it. Where do we see examples of his idealization? Why does he romanticize certain things and people in this way? Can he help it, or is it involuntary? What does this say about his character?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 608 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample