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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 Grandfather asks Alex for his life-savings, what does Alex ask for in exchange?

2. What does Alex ask Jonathan in "Letter Dated 24 December 1997?"

3. What does the woman give Jonathan?

4. Who is Alex referring to when he says, "it is as if after surviving so much, there was no longer a reason to survive" (143)?

5. The old woman tells that when the Nazis came all the men were lined up and told to do what or their family would die?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Falling in Love," what does "Augustine" look like?

2. How does Safran's teeth effect his life? What might have been different if he had not been born with teeth?

3. Why do women fall in love with Safran?

4. What is odd about Zosha's family home?

5. "Letter Dated 17 November 1997" revolves around the theme of forgiveness. Give at least one example of who needs to be granted forgiveness and the reason.

6. In "Letter Dated 12 December 1997," what does Alex think about Jonathan's writing about Safran? Is this hypocritical? What has Alex learned?

7. Does the old woman in "Falling in Love" know Jonathan's grandfather? What does she tell Jonathan?

8. Safran muses "the more you love someone . . . the harder it is to tell them" (234). What is he referencing? Is this true? Why?

9. Safran does not consummate his relationship until his wedding night. What does this suggest about his relationships with other women?

10. The old woman tells that she must live near Trachimbrod as "punishment" (189). According to her, what is she being punished for? What does this mean to you?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Letter Dated 23 September 1997," Alex ponders the idea that we are our fathers. He tells that he thinks he is the "rare bird" (54) in the novel. What does this mean? Is it natural to become like one's parents? Look at the relationships in the book. Who turns into their father? Who does not? In a five paragraph essay, examine the concept that we are our fathers. Is Alex the "rare bird?" Use the text to support you position.

Essay Topic 2

There are three interrelated stories in Everything is Illuminated. How are the stories connected? What is the major theme that binds them? Why tell the story in three parts? What does this accomplish?

Essay Topic 3

This novel is a historical fiction, which means that even though the story itself is not true, some of the events or people involved are real. For example, there most likely was never a Safran and if there was, he probably was not writing love notes to a Gypsy girl. However, the war that is in in the newspapers from which Safran cuts the letters out did happen. World War II did come to the Ukraine and many Jewish people were killed as they were in the novel. Research the Ukraine's involvement in World War II. When was it invaded? What happened to the Jewish people? What happened to the Gypsies? What did it do the Ukraine? What is the Ukraine like today? Answer these questions in a research paper. At the end of your research, analyze the accuracy of Foer's novel.

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