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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. Lieutenant Kotler tells Bruno in Chapter Seven: "How Mother Took Credit for Something that She Hadn't Done" that the only spare tire he’s seen around recently belongs to whom?

2. What Italian explorer, credited with first discovering the Americas, does Bruno describe learning about from his tutor in Chapter Nine: "Bruno Remembers that He Used to Enjoy Exploration"?

3. Where does Bruno find the rope needed to build his tire swing in Chapter Seven: "How Mother Took Credit for Something that She Hadn't Done"?

4. Whose father is described as being a teacher in Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"?

5. What does Bruno’s father do when he becomes angry at Bruno’s suggestion in Chapter Five: "Out of Bounds at All Times and No Exceptions"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bruno’s mother feel about her family’s relocation to Out-With? What are her main concerns about this setting?

2. How does Bruno compare his new home to his old one in Chapter Two: "The New House"?

3. Where does Bruno succeed in getting a tire in Chapter Seven: "How Mother Took Credit for Something that She Hadn't Done"? What does he do with it?

4. How does Bruno go about “making the best of the situation” in Chapter Six: "The Overpaid Maid"?

5. What did Bruno experience of his grandmother’s argument with his father in Chapter Eight: "Why Grandmother Stormed Out"?

6. How is the character of Shmuel described in Chapter Ten: "The Dot that Became a Speck that Became a Blob that Became a Figure that Became a Boy"?

7. What does Bruno tell Maria about regarding the move in Chapter Six: "The Overpaid Maid"?

8. What is Bruno’s father’s position within the German military? What is the reason for his relocation?

9. How does Gretel go about attempting to cheer up her brother in Chapter Three: "The Hopeless Case"?

10. What does Gretel ask about the people in the camp in Chapter Four: "What they Saw through the Window"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the conflict that occurs between Lieutenant Kotler and Pavel in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine.” Why does Lieutenant Kotler behave as he does? Why does this behavior frighten Bruno? How does this event change Bruno’s perspectives of each of these characters?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Bruno’s impressions of Herr Lizst in the narrative. How old is Herr Liszt? Where does this character live in relation to Bruno’s home at Out-With? What subjects does Herr Liszt stress the importance of to Bruno?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the narrative style established in the beginning of the novel. Is the story told from a first, second, or third-person perspective? Why do you think the author chooses this narrative style? Is the narrator’s perspective omniscient or limited?

(see the answer keys)

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