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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 1941 when Gerhard comes home what does Oma make for a meal?

2. What sensation does Helmuth feel as he prepares to write last letters to his family?

3. As 1940 ends, where is it rumored that camps are being built to detain Jews?

4. In 1940 what river do British bombers follow when they bomb Hamburg?

5. What does Helmuth do on New Year's Eve in 1941?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Helmuth get in trouble one September night in 1940?

2. What is the interrogation room like when Helmuth is interrogated a second time by the Gestapo?

3. Why does Helmuth sometimes hate Gerhard?

4. Where do prisoners wait for their interrogations at Gestapo headquarters and how do they wait?

5. Where does Gerhard go for his mandatory Reich Labor Service and what does he do?

6. What is it like at the train station when Helmuth and his family say good-bye to Gerhard?

7. As Helmuth prepares to write his last letters to his family what does he think about what he has done?

8. How does Helmuth feel after he betrays Karl and Rudi and why does he decide that he must live?

9. When and for what is Helmuth found guilty and what is his sentence?

10. As 1940 ends, how is the war proceeding and what rumors are heard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Helmuth has to write an essay titled “Adolf Hitler, Savior of the Fatherland.” What does Helmuth write about Hitler in his essay? Does Helmuth believe what he writes? Why does he write like he does if he believes differently? Why does Helmuth feel like a coward and a traitor after writing the essay?

(see the answer keys)

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