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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. The night of the party, what does Maman realize about the cinematographer?
(a) She loves the girl more than Jaromil does.
(b) The girl would be an excellent daughter-in-law.
(c) The girl is a Communist spy.
(d) The girl will scheme up anything to get what she wants.

2. What is the last thing Jaromil ever sees?
(a) Great fear in his mother's face.
(b) His hand lying on the quilt.
(c) His father's portrait.
(d) Love in his mother's face.

3. Once Jaromil arrives at the party hosted by the cinematographer, how does he feel about his clothes?
(a) His clothes are at the height of fashion.
(b) He is overdressed and stuffy.
(c) His clothes are a few years out of style.
(d) He is casual and sloppy.

4. What kind of verbs does Jaromil love?
(a) Simple verbs that describe one motion.
(b) Verbs that are related to love.
(c) Complicated verbs related to the emotions.
(d) Verbs that describe the power of the future.

5. At Jaromil's sick bed, what words link Maman most closely to him, in her mind?
(a) "I don't want him to look down on us."
(b) "Are you in such a hurry to leave me?"
(c) "Everything he's ever done has been in the interests of the working class."
(d) "You're a poet, and I am so happy for you. . .".

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the first man the redheaded girl slept with?

2. Why does the girl come to see the man rather than going home?

3. The last time the man and girl had seen each other, what had they talked about?

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

5. Just outside the prison, why does the girl hate to see the horses and riders?

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. Near the end of the book, Xavier betrays Jaromil by leaving him behind. What is the significance of this scene?

3. "Only a real poet knows how lonely it is inside the mirrored house of poetry" (Part 7, Chapter 1, pg 289). Where else does the reader see mirrors in the story, and how does this sentence relate to Jaromil's life?

4. How does Jaromil feel while he is visiting the janitor's son at the police station? What does this say about his personal growth?

5. The group of poets, Jaromil among them, is invited to speak at the police academy in the countryside. What is the irony of this situation and what does it say about the ideals they espouse?

6. What happens when Jaromil recites his poems to the audience of police members? How does this compare to the hopes he has had?

7. After not sleeping with the cinematographer, Jaromil considers his underwear for a long time, in light of the women involved. What does he decide? How does this single piece of clothing drive so much of what he does?

8. 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?

9. 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?

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

(see the answer keys)

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