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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. In 1933, what church does Helmuth belong to?

2. In 1938, what is Gerhard studying?

3. What shops do the Jewish families run that Helmuth knows in 1933?

4. The day that Hitler was appointed chancellor, what did Helmuth's mother fix for supper?

5. How long after the victory parade for Hitler is held in 1933 does Helmuth hear Hitler's first radio speech?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Helmuth waiting for at school on January 30, 1933, and what does he learn?

2. In 1932, where and how is Helmuth playing with toy solidiers?

3. In 1928 what does Helmuth see on the street when he is walking with his mother and half-brothers?

4. In 1938 when Helmuth joins the Hitler Youth, what does Hugo say and do?

5. What does Helmuth ask his mother after Hugo returns from riots against the Jews in 1939, and what does she tell him?

6. In 1938 why is Rudi interrogated by the Gestapo?

7. in 1938 what questions does Helmuth asks that gets him in trouble and gets him and his classmates extra homework?

8. In 1938 what does Hugo say about God and Germany?

9. In 1932, what suggestion does Gerhard make when he sees Helmuth playing with toy soldiers?

10. Who is Hugo Hubener?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the flashbacks, Helmuth is three when readers first meet him. How does Helmuth mature and come of age through his experiences during the Hitler era?

Essay Topic 2

Helmuth is adopted by his mother’s husband, Hugo Hubener. How does Hugo influence Helmuth’s family, including his brothers? What is his role in Helmuth’s life, and how does his role change after Helmuth’s sentencing?

Essay Topic 3

Helmuth reads in a book by Heinrich Mann that “revolutions are rare because people are too selfish.” What happens to people who dare to question Hitler’s government? What do most people in the novel do when they see injustice or lose freedoms? Based on what the author reveals about characters and their actions, are people too selfish to revolt against Hitler?

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