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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. Who is kept from Sabra and Shatila?

2. Who is Thomas Herzl?

3. How are the native Palestinians treated?

4. What percentage of non-Jewish communities existed in Palestine at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1917?

5. How do further land reforms harm the Palestinians?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Elias decide to do following his initial efforts in the church at Ibillin?

2. What happened about the massacre in question number 50?

3. What type of personal epiphany did Elias have at Ibillin and what did he decide?

4. What did Elias see as the view the Western world had of the Jews and a homeland?

5. What occurred during some of Elias's successes that set back the peace movement?

6. What had happened in Palestine by the time Elias returned there after his studies in Paris?

7. Why does he consider the conflict in Israel so horrific?

8. What was Bishop Raya's background and what was he determined to do?

9. What did Elias finally do in the church at Ibillin and what was the result?

10. What does Elias Chacour hope about his book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As a youngster, Elias loves to hear about Jesus and his miracles from his mother. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze the young Elias' religious involvement. How influential is his early religious life on who he becomes? Does his spirituality seem sincere? Why or why not?

2. Elias has difficulty understanding the Beatitudes. What are the Beatitudes? State them. Choose two of them to interpret in light of your own beliefs.

3. Discuss Elias' view of Jesus and how Elias comes to be either like or not like the image Elias holds of Jesus.

Essay Topic 2

Michael Chacour began to realize that Elias, at age twelve, preeminently, was more spiritually oriented than the other children. Accordingly, when the Church Bishop visited, he requested assistance in locating a school for his youngest son. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think it is a positive step for Michael to send a twelve year old away from home for the purpose of schooling? What would be the advantages for Elias? The disadvantages?

2. If you or your child could not obtain the type of schooling you want while living with your family would you being willing to leave at age 12 or send your 12 year old away to school? Why or why not?

3. What are the goals that Michael has for Elias in going away to school? Do you think Elias fulfills those goals?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator of the book is Elias Chacour, who writes from his own point of view as he experiences and hears about events concerning the formation of the State of Israel and the ongoing conflict concerning the problems that arise out of that formation. Discuss the following:

1. What is meant by a reliable or unreliable narrator? Which do you think Elias is? Why?

2. What would Elias gain by skewing the story of his life? Do you think the gain would be worth the potential cost if he were to be proven to be inaccurate?

3. Is any narrator of a "true" story totally reliable? What factors might affect the reliability of any autobiographical writer including Elias?

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