View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is Bardamu's and Musyne's relationship complicated and difficult?

2. Where does Bardamu decide to go in Section 9?

3. What instrument does Musyne play?

4. As stated in Section 3, how is Robinson similar to Bardamu?

5. What event is about to happen in world history, across Europe at the beginning of the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bardamu think of the marching parade?

2. What is Voireuse's scheme for getting money?

3. In Section 7, where does Bardamu decide to go and why?

4. Why does Bardamu look down on the nurses?

5. Whom does Bardamu meet outside Noirceur who becomes an enduring character in his own life?

6. What does Bardamu realize about his new life in Africa, this new continent and the people he associates with?

7. What does Bardamu find so calculating and ruthless about the Director?

8. What skills does Bardamu learn in Section 11 that proves useful to him?

9. Who is Musyne, and why does her relationship with Bardamu fail to work?

10. What does Bardamu think about the Germans during the First World War?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the theme of money and profit played off against the notion of adventure and a life well lived in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate Bardamu's relationship to women throughout the novel (and particularly his romantic involvements). How does he treat women? Why do his relationships always end disastrously?

Essay Topic 3

Is Bardamu's low evaluation of human nature justified? Do people behave differently under some conditions than others?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 678 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample