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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. Etty reminds herself to channel her urges into what?

2. Where is Etty when Spier dies?

3. Does Etty accept her own feeling of bearing a burden?

4. Etty's devotion to the higher purpose of carrying out God's will and design for her life becomes what?

5. Approximately one week later, Etty Hillesum volunteers to do what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Etty's life and beliefs change due to the war?

2. Why does Hillesum decide she would rather not marry Spier?

3. What does Etty admit to her friend Ru? How is this significant?

4. What does Etty say about suffering?

5. For what does Etty begin to prepare? How might she feel about this exercise?

6. Does Etty realize the threat to her way of life? Does this affect her positive attitude? Explain.

7. What is clear by May of 1942?

8. What has happened to Etty's faith? What does she think about this?

9. How does Etty feel about the atrocities taking place? How does this also lead to feelings of guilt?

10. What leads to Etty going to Westerbork?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Etty's motivations become increasingly altruistic.

Part 1) How do Etty's motivations become increasingly altruistic? Why do they grow more altruistic? What does this reveal about her?

Part 2) What external motivation does Etty receive for being altruistic? How does this compare to her internal motivation? Which are more important? Why?

Part 3) When have you acted altruistically? Why did you act this way? How did this affect you?

Essay Topic 2

Etty begins this diary for two reasons.

Part 1) What are these two reasons? What do these two reasons reveal about her? How do these two reasons prepare the reader for her diary?

Part 2) How are these two reasons important throughout the diary? Are other purposes discovered as she creates this diary? Why or why not?

Part 3) If you were to write a diary, what would be your purpose? Why? How could keeping a diary be useful for you and others?

Essay Topic 3

Etty and her family are transported to Auschwitz.

Part 1) What leads to them being transported to this concentration camp? How is this foreshadowed earlier in the book? How did Etty feel when her family joined her in Westerbork and then in Auschwitz? Why did she feel this way?

Part 2) Why might they have all been sent to Auschwitz? Is there anything that could have been done to prevent this? How does this lead to the end of the story? How does this affect you as the reader?

Part 3) How does Etty's attitude throughout this book help Etty prepare for this tragedy? What can we learn from Etty and her attitude throughout this book?

(see the answer keys)

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