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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. Where is Friedrich?

2. What happens as Friedrich is eating?

3. What are the Germans required to do?

4. How does the narrator's family show its continued concern for Friedrich?

5. Why does Friedrich leave his apartment?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the ending of the chapter then bring the readers right back into the horror of "real" life?

2. What is foreshadowed in the first part of this chapter?

3. What happens when Friedrich tries to get into the shelter?

4. Why are Friedrich and his father having uncharacteristic arguments, and why is there tension in the apartment when the narrator goes up to take the Schneiders some potatoes?

5. What do you think Schneider was doing by saying, "You were right, Herr..."?

6. Why do you think Friedrich would want to go see a movie that espouses hatred toward Jews?

7. What happens in the last paragraphs of this chapter that suggests that the average non-Jewish German does know about the concentration camps and what is significant about the author including this idea?

8. How is the name "Vulture" an apt one for Resch?

9. How does Friedrich's family celebrate his Bar Mitzvah?

10. What does Friedrich speak about and what does he ask of the narrator's family? What do you think is the reason for his request?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the chapter titled "Benches," Friedrich falls in love with a kindergarten teacher named Helga. Answer the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Briefly describe how Friedrich and Helga's meeting and relationship develop. Do you think Helga is aware of Friedrich being Jewish at their first meeting? If she is, why do you think she is friendly to him? If not, do you think she would have turned away from him immediately if she knew?

2. What do you think Helga is like if she is willing to be friends with Friedrich knowing he is Jewish and knowing what is going on in the country concerning Jewish people? Describe her as if you are her best friend and trying to tell someone else about who she is.

3. Do you think Friedrich was right in not going back to meet up with Helga? What does this say about his character? Would you have made the same choice?

Essay Topic 2

The chapter titled "The Pogrom" is probably a very difficult one for many readers, not only because it is the first instance of physical harm done to a character but also because of the narrator's seeming betrayal of his Jewish friends. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Research and explain the topic of mob psychology and how this applies to the narrator's participation in the destruction.

2. What is a pogrom? Research the history of pogroms and cite some of the most well-known ones. Have they always been against Jews? Why do you think otherwise sane and good people participate in a pogrom?

3. Could you ever imagine yourself participating in the kind of activities that take place in this chapter? Not necessarily against the Jews, but against some group of people with whom you feel uncomfortable or threatened. Write an essay about this topic.

Essay Topic 3

In the chapter, "The Way to School," we see not the first evidence of the growing violence towards Jews, but the most overt one in the book so far. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Hitler calls for a one-day boycott of Jewish businesses on Saturday, April 1, 1933; this chapter is probably based upon that proclamation. Learn what you can about this boycott and write an essay telling about how widespread it was, the consequences of it, and if it was considered successful.

2. Friedrich and the narrator are only about eight years old and do not understand the hatred and fears of adults. They greet Mr. Rosenthal, a shop owner whose shop is being blocked by a man with a swastika armband. What can we learn from children about accepting differences? What if very young children of the Arab and Western and Israeli worlds got together (before they are too strongly influenced by adults)? What do you think would happen? Would they share their toys? Would they be hateful because someone is of a different race or religion, etc.? Write a speculative essay about what children can teach adults about accepting others.

3. How effective in general are boycotts? Research the history of boycotts and choose several to study and compare and contrast.

(see the answer keys)

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