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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 caused people to leave Germany in 1933?

2. What did Hesse win in 1946?

3. What was Hesse's last novel?

4. What happened when Hesse began to try to paint his dreams?

5. What happened to Hesse when the Great War began in 1914?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe "Piktor's Metamorphosis" and Hesse's later writing.

2. What does Freedman say Hesse represented with "Steppenwolf"?

3. What was Hesse's experience with psychoanalysis?

4. In what ways was "Steppenwolf" stylistically new for Hesse?

5. How was Hesse supporting himself and his family?

6. Describe the impact of the Great War on Hesse.

7. What strains was Hesse feeling after he wrote "Siddhartha"?

8. Describe the novel "Rosshalde."

9. Describe Hesse's travels in 1928-1929.

10. Describe the novel "Siddhartha."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hesse moved around a great deal, never settling in one place for very long, not until later in life. Why did Hesse move? What made him resist moving? Would you characterize him as a wanderer, a vagrant, an explorer, or an exile? What was he always looking for in a home? Where was he most at home?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Hesse's relationship with women. What differences are there between the women in Hesse's writing and the women in Hesse's life? What did he demand from women, and how did he handle disappointment? What commitments would he make to women, and what would he do to protect his freedom? What was he protecting in himself? What parts of his wives was he protecting himself against?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the importance of other writers and artists in Hesse's life and in his development as a writer. What role did the circle of writers in Tubingen play for him? What did he get from their company? What did he give to that circle? What connections did he make? How did Hesse play the role of "writer" differently with his writer friends than he played the role with his family?

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