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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 weaknesses do sadists and masochists compensate for?

2. What is the original self?

3. When he first came to power, which social class did Hitler favor?

4. Why did the first group of Germans who supported Hitler submit to the power of the Nazis?

5. What political ideology is reinforced by an authoritarian character?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the similarities and differences between sadism and destructiveness?

2. What is the relationship between sadism and masochism? How does the relationship affect authoritarian characters?

3. Why was Nazism so appealing to the lower middle class of Germans?

4. What is the social function of education?

5. How does a democratic society put pressure on individuals to conform?

6. What is social character?

7. What is authority, as defined in the chapter "Mechanisms of Escape"?

8. How is an individual's character structure affected by economic and political changes?

9. What two choices does a person have when confronted by isolation and fear in achieving freedom?

10. What traits of an authoritarian character did Hitler possess?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of this Benjamin Franklin quote to Fromm's analysis of freedom: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." In your response, address the following points:

1). Explain the relevance of this quote with regards to Fromm's book.

2). Cite text examples from Fromm's book where people have given up their liberty for safety and vice versa.

3). Give several personal examples of how high school students give up some of their liberties for security.

4). Based on the evidence in Fromm's book, would he agree with Franklin? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the relationship Hitler had with the lower, middle class of Germany. In your essay, be sure to answer the following questions:

1). How was this relationship mutually beneficial to both Hitler and the lower, middle class citizens?

2). How was Hitler able to secure the support from this social class?

3). Did the lower, middle class remain loyal to Hitler and vice versa?

4). What role did the economic troubles of the lower, middle class play in their relationship with Hitler?

Essay Topic 3

Explain how an individual's freedom has changed over time. Begin with Fromm's discussion of freedom during the Middle Ages and continue with the changes freedom saw during the Renaissance. Analyze the level of freedom man has during times of conformity, like during Hitler's Nazi regime, and how freedoms are restored in a democratic society.

(see the answer keys)

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