View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Useppe develop an aversion to newspapers, in 1945?

2. Why doesn't Davide drink the wine Useppe brings to him?

3. From where does Nino send Ida a postcard, in late 1944?

4. What is not a condition from which Useppe is suffering in 1946?

5. What happens to Bella after Useppe's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Bella, and how is she introduced to the story?

2. Who is Scimo?

3. How do Useppe and Ida react when the Allied forces enter Rome in 1944?

4. How does Bella save Useppe's life in 1947?

5. What happens when Ida tries to put Useppe in school?

6. What relationship develops between Bella and Useppe in 1947?

7. Why was Davide alienated from his family?

8. What health problem does Useppe develop in 1946, and how does he respond?

9. How does Nino's outlook on life change after the end of the war?

10. What does Davide do, immediately after the war ends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Clemente and the other survivors who return from the war are forever changed, and unable to tolerate those who can only imagine what they went through. In what ways are they representative of all war survivors? How do they re-acquaint themselves with everyday life, and try to get over the atrocities they witnessed? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

The atrocities committed by the Nazis are hard to comprehend, particularly because they occurred on such a massive scale. How does this novel help to humanize the victims, and enable readers to understand what they went through? Does this novel change readers' perceptions of the Holocaust and World War II? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Gunther only appears twice in the novel, but plays a major role. Is he a sympathetic character? Why does the author choose to mix such pitiable qualities with such a hateful persona? Are Gunther's mistakes a result of his situation, or is he an inherently bad person? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 841 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample