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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. Whose story does Mr. Spinell write that he wants to tell?

2. How is Mr. Spinell's letter described stylistically?

3. How does Mr. Spinell react to the person he sees on his walk in Chapter 12?

4. Mr. Kloterjahn is relieved that which organ is not the cause of his wife’s illness?

5. How does Mr. Kloterjahn characterize Mr. Spinell?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mrs. Kloterjahn initially refuse to play piano for Mr. Spinell?

2. What does Dr. Muller recommend in Chapter 9?

3. According to Mr. Spinell, why is what he is saying to Mr. Kloterjahn in Chapter 10 not an insult?

4. According to Mrs. Spatz, what did Gabriele do before coughing up blood?

5. What does Mr. Spinell do before leaving the room in Chapter 8, after Gabriele played the piano?

6. According to Mr. Spinell, who ruined the scene within his letter and how?

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

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

9. How does Mr. Kloterjahn react differently to women than Mr. Spinell?

10. Why do the baby’s happiness and health disturb Mr. Spinell?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mr. Spinell believes that only he, and not Mr. Kloterjahn, understands Gabriele. Why does he believe this? Does Gabriele seem to have the same understanding of their relationship as Mr. Spinell? How does Mann characterize the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Kloterjahn? Who, in the end, really understands her?

Essay Topic 2

Mr. Spinell, though paying to stay at Einfried for treatment, does not seem to be actually ill. What does this say about his character? How does his lack of illness relate to his identification as an artist? Why does he want to appear ill? If, as Mann seems to be stating, the artist is inherently a creature of sickness and Mr. Spinell is not sick, can he truly be said to be an artist?

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)

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