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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. What kind of surroundings were near the vacation home of the main character?

2. How did the main character feel about his mother when he was a child?

3. Who was the narrator forbidden to see in Combray?

4. What was different on Saturdays in Combray than the other days?

5. What did the narrator like NOT doing while in Combray?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Great Aunt do when she did not have any visitors?

2. What did the narrator call his parents and what does this reveal about them?

3. What did the narrator want to be when he grew up and why?

4. How did Grandmother treat Charles Swann?

5. What did Great Aunt suffer from?

6. What did the narrator say Uncle Adolphe was overcome by?

7. What did the main character hate about going to bed as a boy?

8. What caused Charles Swann to be unwelcome in the narrator's home?

9. Why was Great Aunt always happy when the narrator's family would visit her?

10. What does this book consist of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Human nature is a strong symbol and theme in this book. Where does this symbol appear, and what role does it play in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Symbolism is a very prevalent literary device used by Marcel Proust. What are some of these symbols, and how does their presence affect the course of the plot?

Essay Topic 3

Diversity and discrimination are two major and related themes in this book. Where do these themes appear, and how did they work together to propel the plot of the book?

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This section contains 569 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample