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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. Where does the ship Bardamu wakes up on after his illness dock?

2. What job does Bardamu get for himself in America in Section 11?

3. What important 'kit' does Major Pincon own?

4. How do the patients amuse themselves at the hospital?

5. What reasons does the Mayor of Noirceur cite for his treachery?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Bardamu think is the interesting quality of the Manhattan Banks?

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

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

5. What hallucination does Bardamu start to have at the end of Section 4 and why?

6. What is the best description of the main character's personality?

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

8. In Bardamu's view, why do all the Americans go to the movies?

9. Who is the man at the last trading hut before the jungle?

10. In what way does Bardamu realize he has been swindled in Section 11?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the relationship and the difference between the rich and the poor sectors of society in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

What does the setting of the jungle represent, both metaphorically and physically, for the character of Bardamu?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role of escapism and fantasy in the novel. How does it inform Bardamu and others' actions?

(see the answer keys)

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