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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. The narrator describes a hill covered with "verdure"; what is this hill covered with?

2. At what time of the morning is Ivanovich supposed to report for the tour?

3. What does Ivanovich enjoy reading?

4. Which of the following describes the group leader accurately?

5. What description does the narrator give of the train car on page 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. What role does singing seem to play on the tour that Ivanovich is on?

2. How does Ivanovich end up going on a tour that he does not want to go on?

3. What happens at dinnertime on the first day of the trip?

4. What does Ivanovich do as soon as he sits down in the train on the first morning of the trip, and what is the group's reaction?

5. With whom does Ivanovich spend the first night, and how does this person keep Ivanovich awake?

6. On the third day of the tour, what does Ivanovich see that makes him feel the happiness he dreamed he might find on the trip?

7. What is the difference between the narrative descriptions of people and of nature in this story?

8. Why does Ivanovich try to avoid singing the songs, and what happens when he is only pretending to sing?

9. How does Ivanovich end up losing the game that they play on the train, and what happens as a consequence?

10. What is frustrating for Ivanovich about the beauty in the landscapes he sees from the train?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that analyzes the relationship between Nabokov's own life experiences and the story "Cloud, Castle, Lake." Be sure to offer textual support for your claims and to cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that affirms, refutes, or qualifies the following statement: "Vasili Ivanovich is the only character in 'Cloud, Castle, Lake' who can be said to be fully 'awake.'" Use textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

One word that can be used to describe "Cloud, Castle, Lake" is "carnivalesque." Look up the literary definition of this word and then write an essay that analyzes the story as an example of the carnivalesque. Support your claims with evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample