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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. When Gunther returns to his office, who is the publisher that calls him?

2. What happened to women when the Third Reich established itself?

3. Where did Paul Pfarr spend a lot of time at that Gunther discovers?

4. Who is missing that Gunther becomes frantic about?

5. When Gunther visits a Jewish pawn shop, what does he find that could be useful?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Mutschmann double-cross Dieter?

2. Why is Reinhard Lange being blackmailed?

3. Who does Gunther suspect is the thief and what does he do about it?

4. How does Gunther gain access to Haupthandler's apartment?

5. Describe Bernhard Gunther.

6. What does Gunther discover about Herring?

7. Describe the German Strength.

8. What does Gunther learn about Inge from Nebe?

9. What did the German Strength group need from Bock and Mutschmann and what happened to them?

10. Describe Inge.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of women in Germany in the 1940s and 1950s when the women in Berlin Noir are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? How is this different from women in other European countries at the time and in America? For example, when Inge is not allowed to work despite her experience, what does this reveal about the German Reich and their principles for society? What freedoms, if any, did they have that women today do not have?

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of loss. Identify at least two themes about loss in Berlin Noir. What or who is being lost? How does this loss affect Bernhard Gunther's subsequent actions? Then cite an example to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

One of the main themes in the book is good versus evil. However, unlike other works of fiction, in Berlin Noir, this line at times can seem hard to distinguish. For example, when Gunther is employed by the Gestapo, he shares investigative results with Nazi officials that use this information for destructive purposes. In looking at the actions of the characters in Berlin Noir, who emerges as a "good" character and why? Who emerges as an "evil" character and why? What frailties are present? How do you think circumstances affect the definition of "good" and "evil" in Berlin Noir? Explain.

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