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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. Which of the following adjectives is not one Joey uses to describe Mr. and Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

2. What nickname does Joey give to the schoolgirl that causes her parents to burst out in giggles?

3. Which of the following characters screams that there is a thief in the house when Kopyrda is heard in Zuta's bedroom?

4. Why does the colonel in the crowd decide to shoot the tennis ball during the match?

5. In what century does the tennis match take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator explain his beliefs that all art is an imitation?

2. How does Joey feel about the decorations in Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

3. How does Aunt Hurlecka come to Joey's rescue while he is on the outskirts of town?

4. What happens when the Marquis de Filiberthe joins the brawl at the tennis match?

5. How does Mrs. Youngblood react when she sees Zuta walking down the street with a boy she doesn't know?

6. What does Joey see when he spies on the Youngblood family as they get ready for the morning in the bathroom?

7. How does Kneadus react when he sees the farmhand he has been searching for working at Auntie's house?

8. What happens when Joey and Kneadus reach the edge of the city in their search for the farmhand?

9. How does Mr. Youngblood react to the scene he walks into in Zuta's bedroom while looking for thieves?

10. How does the crowd at the tennis match respond to all the craziness going on around the field?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Zuta is described as being a "modern" schoolgirl. First, describe the character of Zuta. What makes her different from the other schoolgirls in her grade? Then, explain what it means to be "modern" in Zuta's society. Is modernity something one is born with or can it be learned? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

Essay Topic 2

In Pimko's school, the best attribute a student can have is immaturity. First, describe why immaturity is such an alluring character trait for the students in Pimko's school. Then, describe how the teachers manipulate the immature students' brains. What commentary is Gombrowicz making about academia in general through the use of his overbearing, opinionated teachers? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

Essay Topic 3

Kneadus's main goal for the entire novel is to locate and connect with the farmhand. First, describe the character of the farmhand. What makes this character so desirable to outsiders? Then, describe how Kneadus finally met the farmhand he was searching for. What was the outcome of this meeting? Finally, describe the outside reaction to the idea that a master could befriend a servant. How did this reaction directly affect the relationship between Kneadus and his farmhand?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,120 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample