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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. Why does Villanelle dress like a boy when she works at the casino?

2. When Villanelle leaves the Queen of Spades´house after their first date, what does she do?

3. Villanelle says that passion is somewhere between fear and what?

4. What does Villanelle say the canals are always busy with?

5. What job does Henri originally want when he joins the army?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Queen of Spades leave for Villanelle at the gaming table? What is the item made out of?

2. According to legend, what does a boatsmen´s wife do when she is pregnant? What is she supposed to wish for?

3. What special talent does Patrick possess? What job is he given by Bonaparte?

4. Where does Villanelle work? How does she dress there? Why does she dress this way?

5. How many hands tall is Napoleon's horse? Why could no stable boy last?

6. What does Bonaparte do to Henri to show his approval when he hears about Henri and the cook? What does he say about Henri's idea?

7. What does Patrick say the channels are full of? What danger lies in the channels?

8. In Henri's story about the man who thought himself an inventor, why did the man go to town for a few months, leaving his family? Who seemed to hold the man together?

9. What job does Henri originally want? Who prevents him from getting it?

10. Why did Henri's mother want to run away when she was young? How does Henri say his father won her over?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rituals are an important part of life for the characters in the novel. Write an essay about rituals and legends in The Passion and their function in the novel's plot. Be specific; be sure to include at least two examples.

Essay Topic 2

Disability is a common theme amongst the characters in The Passion. Write an essay about the theme of disability in the novel, using at least 3 characters in your argument.

Essay Topic 3

In The Passion, Villanelle tells a story about two men who bet their lives against each other. Write an essay on the theme of "The stakes of life" in the novel, using Villanelle's story as a background to your argument. Make sure you use at least 2 examples that mirror Villanelle's story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 721 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample