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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 author asserts that making a good choice does not depend so much on deliberation as on what?

2. What is the risk in despairing over something particular according to the author?

3. What natural need does every human being have according to the author?

4. To what does he assert he sacrifices his life?

5. In what does the author say the young man is prolific?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author warn against young men being tied down to making a living right away?

2. What does the author say is the proper attitude for a married man in a time of material need?

3. What risk does the author say one runs when one despairs about something in particular?

4. What is the point of the author's story about the count and countess?

5. How does the author define philosophy and what does he appreciate about it?

6. What does the author say is more important than choosing the right thing?

7. What are the advantages of the ethical theory of talent as opposed to the aesthetic theory of talent?

8. How may talent become a hindrance to the enjoyment of life, according to the author?

9. What does the author assert is the mystic's error?

10. Are any Either/Or choices absolute? Explain.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author of the letter and the recipient of the letter are of two different generations. Discuss the impact of generational differences on the two characters' attitudes. For example how do the younger man and the older man each understand the concept of love and of relations between the sexes. Also the older man makes frequent reference to his generation's problems with contemporary social trends. What are these? Discuss citing specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

The author discusses the forms of love extensively in EITHER/OR. How many different forms of love does the author identify? How are they distinct from one another and how do they relate to one another? What is the place of each form of love in a man's life? How does each form of love relate to marriage? Discuss citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

The author writes of a folktale concerning Roland's three squires. Recount the tale and discuss its relationship to the concept of Either/Or citing specific examples from the text.

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