View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part 7: The Poet Dies, pp. 289-307.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Kundera's example, what will happen to the poet if he steps outside his mirrored domain?
(a) He will surely die.
(b) He will lose all poetic power.
(c) He will be unable to handle humanity.
(d) He will cease to be self-absorbed.

2. According to Kundera, what is "the first precondition of freedom" (Part III, Chapter 18, pg 121)?
(a) Never having parents.
(b) Never having children.
(c) Losing parents in death.
(d) Being able to love without guilt.

3. What happens to Jaromil's uncle?
(a) He contracts pneumonia and dies.
(b) He is charged with fraud and imprisoned.
(c) He leaves his wife to hide in a remote village.
(d) He is charged with being an enemy of the state and imprisoned.

4. What is Jaromil's criterion for a true poem?
(a) It must have an established form.
(b) It must be read by someone other than the author.
(c) It must be able to stand apart from other poems.
(d) It must sound poetic when it is recited.

5. Who was the first man the redheaded girl slept with?
(a) A fellow student at the university.
(b) A childhood friend.
(c) A middle-aged man in the city.
(d) An older man in her village.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Jaromil wants to recite poetry to the redhead, what disturbing thought occurs to him?

2. What distinctive piece of clothing does the old woman wear when she dances with Xavier?

3. Why was Maman initially pleased to think about meeting Jaromil's girlfriend?

4. What happens when a classmate asks Jaromil about the redhead?

5. How does the film begin?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 408 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample