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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. Renzo believes his shame is the last vestige of _________ in a vicious, barbaric world.

2. What does Renzo want Santino to build for a German engineering firm?

3. Who has been caught at the German checkpoint with anti-Fascist documents?

4. Who goes down to meet a lone officer of the Republican troops?

5. Who rushes in to tell Santino about German soldiers raping a young girl?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Osvaldo now driving a car for?

2. Why has Jakub Landau been caught at the German checkpoint?

3. What are Renzo and Schramm supervising together?

4. What does Santino see when he is on the crowded train?

5. Who does Mirella turn away from her property, even though she generally takes in everyone she can?

6. What was the real story behind the raping of the girl by the six German soldiers?

7. Why does Artur almost shoot a young boy he sees while sitting out with Renzo/Ugo?

8. Why does Duno know how to care for the injured?

9. What has happened to Alberto Fiori, formerly Albery Blum?

10. What happens to Simon Henley's plane during the conflict with the German planes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Von Thadden seems to believe that what he is doing is right for the world, releasing all guilt from his conscience.

Part 1: Why doesn't von Thadden think what he is doing is wrong?

Part 2: What makes von Thadden more of a complicated character than he appears?

Part 3: What is your emotional reaction to von Thadden? Why?

Essay Topic 2

The lives the characters had to give up for their safety must be missed, or do the changes in their lives change their priorities?

Part 1: Describe the life of the Brosslers before the war.

Part 2: What is the life of the Brosslers like after they escape to the mountains?

Part 3: Do the Brosslers seem to miss their previous lives? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Children also seem to play a minor, yet significant role in the story. They seem to be giving the story a subtext which is speaking more to the themes of the story.

Part 1: Who are some of the children mentioned?

Part 2: What were the fates of the children who were mentioned?

Part 3: What do you think the author is saying about youth and about new life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 559 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample