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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 is the name of Helena's daughter?

2. Who is the narrator of the part two?

3. After Ludvik's meeting with the board he is prompted by a Communist friend to go see who?

4. What does Helena like about Ludvik?

5. Where is the man Ludvik asks for at the booth at the gate of the hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Helena's credo?

2. What was Helena's first meeting with Ludvik like, according to Helena?

3. What is Kostka's bachelor pad like?

4. Describe Moravia as Ludvik sees it upon his return at the beginning of "The Joke".

5. What is Kostka's living situation?

6. Describe the circumstances under which Helena fell in love with Zemanek.

7. Describe the story of the dwarfs Ludvik told Marketa.

8. After Marketa and Ludvik speak candidly about the postcard, Ludvik suggests he could win Marketa despite everything. How, and what, does he do?

9. What were the common criticisms given to students at University in the Party? Ludvik describes them as "seeds" that all the students carried with them, to be used against themselves at a moment's notice.

10. What were the early days of Helena and Zemanek's relationship like?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Detail what happened to Ludvik's mother and what brought her to be buried in the manner she was laid to rest.

Essay Topic 2

What major event ends the novel "The Joke", and what does it symbolize?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Jaroslav and his family.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 708 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample