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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. Who is the narrator?

2. What part of Christmas disappointed Piri?

3. What did mother express concern over?

4. To whom did Piri entrust a letter to her parents?

5. What was Farenc sad to tell Piri?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when Piri's mother inquired into sending the girls to America?

2. Describe Piri's parents' visit to Komjaty.

3. Why did Farenc agree to help Piri and her family?

4. How did current events affect the Passover holiday?

5. How did Piri get food and supplies in Beregszasz?

6. What conflict does Piri witness?

7. What did Father expect to happen after his battalion passed through Beregszasz?

8. How did Beregszasz change for Piri's family?

9. What political event ends Chapter 8?

10. What did Farenc say about Babi's desire to ship the children to America?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the calendar of Jewish and Christian holidays give structure to 'Upon the Head of a Goat'? How does Piri's family celebrate the holidays, and how are their celebrations affected by the war?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of the scapegoat as Mr. Shuster describes it gives the goat a ritual importance--what other rituals take place in the book, and how are sins--or blessings--transferred into or out of the community?

Essay Topic 3

In Piri's account, what is the cause of the Holocaust that killed 11 million people? Was it simply Anti-Semitism, or does she attribute her family's experiences to other cultural phenomena? How important is it for her to find causes, anyway? If finding causes is not important to her, what is more important? Bearing witness? Testifying? Externalizing the experience?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 662 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample