This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who attempts to cheer Zorba up following the death of Hortense?
(a) Anagnosti.
(b) The festival-goers.
(c) The monks.
(d) The dirge singers.

2. After sleeping with the widow, what does the narrator realize?
(a) "The soul is flesh as well."
(b) "The soul is to be treasured much more than the flesh."
(c) "The flesh is language for the soul."
(d) "The soul is a gem that the flesh will never uncover."

3. What causes Zorba to become infuriated after Hortense's death?
(a) The narrator announces that he will leave Crete.
(b) The narrator does not have the answers to his questions.
(c) The narrator fires him from the mine.
(d) Madame Hortense has not left him anything in her will.

4. What startling news does Zorba receive when he returns from Candia?
(a) He learns that he is expected to propose to Madame Hortense.
(b) He learns that he is going to be a father.
(c) He learns that the mine will soon close.
(d) He hears that a revolution is brewing on Crete.

5. What does the narrator come across while walking on the mountain path?
(a) An ancient inscribed tablet.
(b) A cave.
(c) A human skeleton.
(d) The ruins of a Minoan city.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens to Gavrili in the night at the monastery?

2. What does Demetrios want to show Zorba and the narrator?

3. For what action is Zorba trying to make up for by his actions in Chapter 18?

4. What gift does Mimiko deliver from the accused in Pavli's death?

5. After receiving a letter from his friend in Chapter 25, who does the narrator warn when he feels a sense of danger?

Short Essay Questions

1. When writing letters to Madame Hortense, what does the narrator have to do?

2. What is the irony of Zorba comparing himself to Zeus in Chapter 19?

3. What evidence of artistic inspiration does the narrator find in the ruins of the old city? How does he feel when he sees it?

4. How are Zorba's final moments described?

5. What does Madame Hortense actually think of Zorba?

6. What two major shifts happen to the narrator in Chapter 21? What major realization do these shifts spur in the narrator.

7. Describe what happened while Zorba was at war that changed his mind about judging a person based on nationality.

8. What was Zaharia's inspiration for burning down the monastery?

9. What does Zorba say about women when the narrator reveals that he has proposed to Madame Hortense on his behalf?

10. In his third theory of religion, what does the bishop give as God's reason for sending religion to the masses?

Multiple Choice Answer Key

Short Answer Key

1. What happens to Gavrili in the night at the monastery?

He is murdered by his lover.

2. What does Demetrios want to show Zorba and the narrator?

His clay nun.

3. For what action is Zorba trying to make up for by his actions in Chapter 18?

Spending all of the narrator's money in Candia.

4. What gift does Mimiko deliver from the accused in Pavli's death?

A basket of oranges.

5. After receiving a letter from his friend in Chapter 25, who does the narrator warn when he feels a sense of danger?

His soldier friend.

Short Essay Answer Key

1. When writing letters to Madame Hortense, what does the narrator have to do?

The narrator must pretend he is Zorba. Therefore, he must take on Zorba's characteristics in his writings while looking for the best in Madame Hortense.

2. What is the irony of Zorba comparing himself to Zeus in Chapter 19?

Zorba says that he is like Zeus in that he sacrifices his own self in order to bring women happiness. This is ironic because Zeus is traditionally considered to be lecherous towards women.

3. What evidence of artistic inspiration does the narrator find in the ruins of the old city? How does he feel when he sees it?

The narrator finds a partially finished jar carved from stone and a chisel on the ground nearby. This fills him with bitterness as he realizes the artistic inspiration has been defeated.

4. How are Zorba's final moments described?

Zorba dies howling and laughing like an animal.

5. What does Madame Hortense actually think of Zorba?

Madame Hortense thinks Zorba will make a useful husband but does not think much of him above and beyond that role. She wishes also that he were as exciting and accomplished as her former lovers.

6. What two major shifts happen to the narrator in Chapter 21? What major realization do these shifts spur in the narrator.

The narrator finally sleeps with the widow, which Zorba has been encouraging him to do for some time. The narrator also finishes the Buddha Manuscript and with it, has the realization that he has exorcised the Buddha from himself. These two shifts make it clear to the narrator that "the soul is flesh as well," or in other words the actions of his body are just as important and spiritual as the meditating and thinking to which he is accustomed.

7. Describe what happened while Zorba was at war that changed his mind about judging a person based on nationality.

While at war, Zorba murdered a Bulgarian priest who had been invading Greek villages and killing Greeks. Later, when Zorba sees the orphans of the priest, he realizes that nationality doesn't matter. Rather, "good" and "bad" are the only important classifications to consider.

8. What was Zaharia's inspiration for burning down the monastery?

He says he was acting on a mission assigned to him by Archangel Michael. He acted, however, based on the knowledge he received from Zorba.

9. What does Zorba say about women when the narrator reveals that he has proposed to Madame Hortense on his behalf?

Zorba says that women are delicate creatures and are unable to handle such jokes.

10. In his third theory of religion, what does the bishop give as God's reason for sending religion to the masses?

He says that God sent religion as an act of mercy for the masses in order that they might experience living in "eternity." The bishop believes that only a few people on earth are able to live an eternity during their natural lives on earth.