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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. In general, what did Sabina have a longing for?

2. What did Franz's words about love and strength do to Sabina?

3. What did Tereza's mother forbid Tereza to do?

4. What did Tereza remember most of Dubeck's speech, the one he made after his return from Moscow?

5. What was Sabina's views of modern music?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Franz expect Marie-Claude to react to his confession about his affairs and how does she actually respond?

2. How did Tereza react to her mother's phone call telling her she had cancer and only 5 months to live?

3. Why did Tomas initially reject the Swiss doctor's office to in Switzerland?

4. What were books for Tereza?

5. In Part 1, Chapter 3, what did Tomas struggle with after Tereza returned to her small Czech town?

6. In Part 4, Chapter 3, describe the meeting of the the crowd of umbrellas in the street which Tereza encounters.

7. Is reaching the lightness of being Sabina's goal?

8. What did the bowler hat represent for Sabina?

9. For Franz, what is music?

10. What is Tereza's relationship with her body?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When making decisions, Tereza and Tomas do not really look long term.

1. By retiring into the country, does Tomas and Tereza draw forth their death? Could they have subconsciously wanted to die? If so, what would each of their reasons have been?

2. Had they not died, could they have had a happy relationship? Why or why not?

3. Why didn't Tomas refuse to go to the country? Given the political situation of the country, did Tomas and Tereza have any other option? Overall, would you consider Tereza selfish in her actions? Cite 3 examples.

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the three options to write about:

1. The influence of women on the various characters: Tereza's mother on Tereza, Franz's mother on Franz, Tomas's wife on Tomas and Simon's mother on Simon.

2. The influence of communism on the various characters: Tomas, Sabina, Simon, Tereza.

3. The result of infidelity on Tereza, Tomas, Sabina, Franz and Marie-Claude.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the three options to write about:

1. Throughout The Unbearable Lightness of Being, the question of weight and lightness is often used to describe the reason behind a character's actions. Discuss which characters are pursuing lightness, which characters are more pursuing weight. Tomas, Tereza, Franz and Sabina.

2. Recurring dreams have a strong impact on Tereza. These dreams interpret her inner struggle with Tomas's affairs. Cite 3 dreams that were particularly frightening for Tereza.

3. Throughout The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera expresses quite a few observations about the Communist Regime and the people that oppose them. Cite 3 views that adrress those views.

(see the answer keys)

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