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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. Which groups of people exchange positions rapidly in this changed world?

2. What do all struggles need?

3. What makes Algiers different from cities like Paris, Prague and Florence?

4. What is meant by 'obscurantism'?

5. What status as a philosopher does Camus accord Plato?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the overall impression the reader has of Oran and its people?

2. What is peculiar about the built environment of Oran, according to Camus?

3. In what way did the philosopher Socrates demonstrate his lack of intellectual arrogance?

4. What lies 'beyond the yellow walls of Oran'?

5. What does Camus mean when he says that the 'tyrannies of today are improved'?

6. To what do love, peace and beauty form the antidote?

7. Of what is Camus speaking when he criticizes 'idealism of the worst kind' (p.188 of the Penguin edition)?

8. Comment on the title of the essay 'Helen's Exile'.

9. Comment on the force of the phrase 'indulge in a swim' rather than 'go for a swim'.

10. In what respects does Camus state that Algiers is capable of gratifying every human wish?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

'Kafka's literary and philosophical works have had significant influence in ways of thinking and in the creation of other works of art.' Compose an essay that is a response to this statement. You will need to discuss at least two works mentioned by Camus and evaluate the way in whch these works have influenced other writers, citing at least two examples of the 'Kafkaeque'.

Essay Topic 2

'Camus' use of Franz Kafka's work is particularly apt when we consider the idea of the absurd world.' Discuss the way Camus cites Kafka in the course of his exposition on the absurd. You will need to relate characters and incidents to ideas expressed by Camus. You will also need to consider implications of those ideas. It is important, too, to include any necessary critique of the way Camus has referred to Kafka's work.

Essay Topic 3

'Fame is the spur that leads men on'. Discuss. There are different kinds of fame you could consider. You might consider that perhaps the pursuit of fame is a way some people confirm the significance of their lives. What are the gains to be had through fame? These could be material, but also perhaps spiritual--depending on the type of fame enjoyed.

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