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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. What does Gretel do every day once she and her mother return to Berlin in Chapter Twenty: "The Last Chapter"?

2. What is Bruno doing when his sister Gretel comes into his room in Chapter Fourteen: "Bruno Tells a Perfectly Reasonable Lie"?

3. What does Bruno tell Shmuel he wants to be when he grows up in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

4. What is cooking for dinner when Bruno arrives home in Chapter Twelve: "Shmuel Thinks of an Answer to Bruno's Question"?

5. What does Bruno take from the kitchen to give to Shmuel in the beginning of Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What plans do Bruno and Shmuel make for their last day together in Chapter Eighteen: "Thinking Up the Final Adventure"?

2. How does Shmuel explain his absence when he finally sees Bruno in Chapter Eighteen: "Thinking Up the Final Adventure"?

3. What does Bruno offer to do in order to help Shmuel in Chapter Eighteen: "Thinking Up the Final Adventure"?

4. What does Bruno learn about Pavel from Maria in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

5. How does Bruno’s father respond to the suggestion from his wife that she and the children leave Out-With in Chapter Seventeen: "Mother Gets Her Own Way"?

6. What lead to Bruno’s “haircut” in Chapter Sixteen: "The Haircut"?

7. What leads to the scary incident between Lieutenant Kotler and Pavel in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

8. What does Shmuel tell Bruno of his life before the camp in Chapter Twelve: "Shmuel Thinks of an Answer to Bruno's Question"?

9. How is the setting where Shmuel’s family lived in the ghetto described in Chapter Twelve: "Shmuel Thinks of an Answer to Bruno's Question"?

10. How does the friendship between Shmuel and Bruno develop in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define “irony” and the different forms of irony used in literature. Discuss how author John Boyne makes extensive use of irony throughout The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. How does irony apply to Bruno’s perception of Out-With? How is dramatic irony used in the denouement of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of Shmuel and Bruno’s first impressions of Shmuel when they meet in the narrative. How old is Shmuel? What similarities does he share with Bruno? What differences stand between these boys? How does Shmuel’s character evolve through the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Pavel in the novel. How do you perceive Pavel’s life prior to the Nazi takeover? What was his profession? How old is Pavel? What do you think happens to Pavel at the end of the story?

(see the answer keys)

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