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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. Why might the Jews of Deventer not be allowed to own certain types of property?

2. Does Etty accept her own feeling of bearing a burden?

3. This act of verbalizing to another person is what for Etty?

4. Etty comes to love what?

5. Etty is hyper-alert, hyper-conscious of what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Hillesum decide she would rather not marry Spier?

2. What is known about Etty's faith at this time?

3. What does Etty come to accept, which affects her thoughts, feelings, and obligations?

4. What does Etty believe one should do to handle the increasingly difficult situation?

5. How does Etty's life and beliefs change due to the war?

6. What has happened to Etty's faith? What does she think about this?

7. What does Etty say about suffering?

8. How do Etty's beliefs affect her actions regarding her safety?

9. For what does Etty begin to prepare? How might she feel about this exercise?

10. What happens to Etty after Spier's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Etty learns a great deal from the Jews she meets in Westerbork.

Part 1) Describe the Jews at Westerbork. How are they treated? Why are they treated in this way? What is Etty's role at this time? Is she effective in this role? Why or why not?

Part 2) What does Etty learn from these Jews? How is she affected by this information? Why is she affected in this way? How does this information affect you as the reader?

Part 3) Overall, how are you, as the reader, affected by Etty's story? Why? How might this story affect your actions in the future? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Etty works with women and children at Westerbork.

Part 1) Describe Etty's work with these women and children. How might she have received this role? How might she be a positive influence for them?

Part 2) How does Etty benefit from working with these women and children? How is this information important to this book?

Part 3) Could Etty have done more for these women and children? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 3

Etty voluntarily goes to Westerbork.

Part 1) What is Westerbork? Describe Westerbork. Why does Etty go here voluntarily? What does this reveal or reinforce about her?

Part 2) Should Etty have volunteered to do this? Why or why not? How does this affect her life? How different might it have been if she had reacted to the German occupation in another way?

Part 3) What can you, as the reader, learn about the German occupation and World War II from Etty's experience at Westerbork?

(see the answer keys)

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