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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When does Jaromil feel that the girl belongs to him completely?
(a) When he writes a poem about her.
(b) When his hands are around her neck.
(c) When she lets him undress her.
(d) When she swears to love him forever.

2. At the end of Part 6, what sound does Kundera hear?
(a) The future walking.
(b) The rustle of bedclothes.
(c) Death stamping its feet.
(d) Jaromil's breath.

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

4. What question does the middle-aged woman have for the group of poets?
(a) How is modern love different from love in the past?
(b) How will socialism affect poetic forms?
(c) How will socialism affect their personal lives?
(d) Why was the bus stop moved down the road?

5. During the argument between Jaromil and the party guest, why do the other guests burst out laughing?
(a) Jaromil has tripped over a coffee table and fallen.
(b) The party guest has picked up Jaromil by his shirt and pants waist.
(c) Jaromil has punched the party guest in the face.
(d) Jaromil has tripped over a coffee table and fallen.

Short Answer Questions

1. When does Jaromil's anger toward the girl at last subside?

2. Why is there silence at the beginning of the question-and-answer time following the recitation?

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

4. How many poets participate in the recitation?

5. What had the middle-aged man done when the girl was arrested?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Maman's opinion about the redheaded girl? How does her reaction perpetuate the cycle of her own relationship with Jaromil?

2. How is the girl a different person from when she went into the prison? How is she more like Jaromil had been?

3. Why does Jaromil want to undress the redhead? How does this show his inadequate understanding of relationships?

4. Maman is disillusioned about the cinematography girl after the girl does not invite her to the party. How does this show the similarity between Maman and the girl?

5. What arguments do Jaromil and the redhead have concerning their families? How does this illustrate Jaromil's juvenile mindset?

6. When the girl visits the middle-aged man, she is wearing winter clothes. What does this detail reveal about the timing in the story?

7. In planning the documentary about Jaromil's life, what do Maman and Jaromil reveal about themselves? What do they reveal about their relationship?

8. Jaromil's first revelation about duty is that it is "voluntary and represents human daring and dignity" (Part 5, Chapter 11, pg 263). Given his situation, is this true?

9. According to Jaromil, why did he run from the window where he first saw the redheaded girl? How does this move the story forward and reveal Jaromil's personality at the same time?

10. During the party at the cinematography girl's apartment, how does Jaromil's clothing reflect his state of mind?

(see the answer keys)

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