View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who are now being forced into service in the German army and factories?

2. What is Pierino's new job to do at this point of the story?

3. Who does Santino pray furiously to in order to help the group find a place to stay?

4. What does Don Osvaldo hear from Catarina Dolcino?

5. In 1938, every city in Italy had to send ten anti-Fascist _________ to jail, which is why the answer to #50 went to jail.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Santino tell the Blums to do in order to save themselves from the Germans?

2. What does Renzo speculate about the human beings in the world?

3. Describe who Pierino is.

4. What kind of mother was Klara Hitler to her son, Adolf Hitler?

5. What does Renzo say as he is out in public with Mirella?

6. Describe the former life of the Brosslers.

7. What is Doctor Werner Schramm looking for in the small village of Porto Sant' Andrea?

8. What does Catarina Dolcino confess to Don Osvaldo that seems "funny" to him?

9. What did Lidia do while Renzo was in jail, a fact she admits to him when he reveals his meeting with Schramm?

10. Why does Werner think his mother committed suicide?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The language barrier between the Brosslers and Goletta causes a potentially disastrous decision to be made.

Part 1: What happens between the Brosslers and Goletta?

Part 2: What is the decision that is made?

Part 3: How might Goletta or the Brosslers have overcome the language barrier?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of a sin that can not be forgiven seems to make the idea of confession something that is not absolute.

Part 1: Which character is not given forgiveness or absolution for their sins?

Part 2: Why doesn't Tomitz give absolution for these sins?

Part 3: Is it right to not forgive someone who has confessed to their sins?

Essay Topic 3

The title of the story is from the quote: "No matter how dark the tapestry God weaves for us, there's always a thread of grace." This seems to be the perfect way to assemble the images and the emotions of the story.

Part 1: In what ways does the story show that the tapestry God weaves is dark?

Part 2: What are some examples of grace in this story?

Part 3: In what ways has your perception of grace changed in reading this story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 647 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample