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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 surrounds Henry on his walk on the Rue de Buci?

2. Sleeping on a mattress in the hall, what is Henry's troubled dream?

3. How are Boris and Henry planning to write THE LAST BOOK?

4. With what person does Henry compare his writing?

5. What does the young Hindu do before leaving Paris?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Henry see the American women at the Cafe de la Paix or the Ritz Bar?

2. Why is Henry so generous with his praise of the prostitute Germaine?

3. In relating his experience with the young Hindu, what is Henry expressing about his own beliefs?

4. How does Henry describe Moldorf?

5. What does Elsa say bout the Englishman upstairs playing Bach?

6. What importance does Henry place on both the past and the future?

7. What does Henry know about Walter Pach?

8. How does Henry describe the relationship between him, Boris, and Elsa?

9. How does Henry use sarcasm in describing Nanantatee's lavish apartment?

10. What lie does Henry tell the Cronstadts when they invite him to join their meal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In American lore, the idea of staying somewhere that George Washington once slept has a kind of romantic appeal. In the TROPIC OF CANCER, Van Norden's dumpy hotel is made appealing by the hint that Maupassant once lived there. Henry goes to see the room where Strindberg once stayed. Write an essay about a place you would like to visit because some person you admire once stayed or lived there.

Essay Topic 2

Write a paper about how the French surrealists influenced Miller's work. Use two or three of the surreal dreams or day dreams in the book to illustrate your point. How do some of those passages sound like an early encounter with the Twilight Zone.

Essay Topic 3

Pretend you are a newspaper critic and write a summary and critique of THE TROPIC OF CANCER. In your review of the novel, include your recommendation about whether someone should or should not read the book and be specific about your reasons.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 596 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample