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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. Besides blades, what does Rodion's penknife have?

2. What irrelevant detail does the letter mention?

3. What does Cincinnatus credit his lawyer with?

4. While Cincinnatus meets with his lawyer, who does the prison director inform Cincinnatus is coming?

5. Where is the prison located?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reason does Cincinnatus give for needing to know the schedule for his execution?

2. How does Cincinnatus describe his difference from other people?

3. What does Cincinnatus realize as he heads back to his cell with Rodion?

4. What does Emmie do with the water jug in Cincinnatus' cell?

5. Describe Pierre's circus performance.

6. How does Cincinnatus' father-in-law say goodbye to him?

7. What does Cincinnatus hope to get out of seeing Marthe?

8. At the end of his first day in prison, what does Cincinnatus think about?

9. What does Cincinnatus describe happening to the world in his dreams?

10. Besides how long Cincinnatus has until his execution, what else does Cincinnatus want to know from his captors? What is their response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss symbolism and metaphor in the novel.

1) What things are described as being off-center in the novel? What does this represent in the novel?

2) What does the spider represent in the novel? What does the moth that is almost fed to the spider represent?

3) What do nonnons represent? Why does Cecelia C. tell the story of nonnons?

4) Why does Cincinnatus take himself apart several times during the novel? What does this represent? What do some of the other absurd or surreal events in the novel represent?

5) What does the prison itself represent? Do the characters have symbolic or metaphoric meaning?

Essay Topic 2

Cincinnatus longs to make a true human connection with his wife. Discuss the role of human connection and its opposite, isolation, in the novel.

1) What inherent conditions of being human contribute to isolating human beings from each other? How do these forces affect Cincinnatus and the novel?

2) How does society and culture work to isolate human beings in the novel and prevent human connections?

3) Are the other characters in the novel truly empty, without a real human being below the surface, as Cincinnatus sometimes declares?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss communication in the novel.

1) Why does Cincinnatus believe he has communicated with whoever he hears digging a tunnel beyond his wall? How does he feel about having communicated? What does he hope to gain through this communication?

2) How does Cincinnatus use his writing to try to communicate? What is he trying to communicate, and to whom?

3) In what other ways does Cincinnatus try to communicate with those around him? What are the obstacles to communication?

(see the answer keys)

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