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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 Messner give to Santino secretly as he tells him where to meet?

2. A girl on the crowded train diverts the Nazi soldiers' attention as a ____________ slides under the train seats.

3. What city has the Nazi party lost in their struggle to conquer Italy?

4. What is the name of the little mute to whom Angelo feels close?

5. Who has been caught at the German checkpoint with anti-Fascist documents?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Schramm describe Hitler's stories?

2. What has happened to Alberto Fiori, formerly Albery Blum?

3. What does Renzo return to reveal to the others?

4. Why has Jakub Landau been caught at the German checkpoint?

5. What was the real story behind the raping of the girl by the six German soldiers?

6. What is the holiday that the United States and the Germans had hoped to meet in terms of ending the war?

7. What does Renzo do once he realizes he has no one to live for now that the war is over?

8. What makes the German soldiers stop looking through the laundry basket Claudia Cicala is carrying?

9. What does Santino see when he is on the crowded train?

10. What does Battista threaten Leto with when he tells him to tell the Germans who killed the five soliders?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Schramm is a complicated character, coming from a German background, but then seemingly turning around at the end.

Part 1: Why did Schramm go AWOL from the German army to begin with?

Part 2: Why does Schramm ask for forgiveness for his sins? What were his sins?

Part 3: Can you believe Schramm's eventual apology in the end of the book? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

When Tomitz is interrogated, he realizes this questioning is about control and this helps him better understand what he needs to do.

Part 1: Who is interrogating Tomitz and how did they capture him?

Part 2: What does Tomitz compare the interrogation to? Why?

Part 3: Do you agree with what Tomitz believes about his interrogation? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The love relationships in this story are a little muddled and a little confused. There doesn't really seem to be any time for love during war.

Part 1: Describe the relationship between Mirella and Renzo.

Part 2: Describe the relationship between Mirella and Iacopo.

Part 3: What does the author seem to be saying about love in this book?

(see the answer keys)

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