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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. For what is Friedrich singled out for the first time in his life?

2. Why are Friedrich and his father having uncharacteristic arguments?

3. What does the doctor advise Frau Schneider to do?

4. Of what does Resch boast?

5. What does the narrator's family do when told to go inside their apartment?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Friedrich initiated into manhood in his synagogue?

2. Who visits the Schneiders and what happens?

3. What is the narrator's ethical dilemma concerning this situation?

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

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

6. Do you think Resch is more motivated by patriotism or greed when he turns in the Schneiders?

7. What is ironic about the way Resch treats his garden polycarp in contrast to how he treats Friedrich?

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

9. 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?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

In the chapter named "Grandfather," Grandfather inspects the hands before he will shake them and the bottoms of his shoes for proper polishing. He assumes the position at the head of the table and never fails to remind Father of his failure to take care of his family. Answer of the following questions in a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. How does the Grandfather attempt to control his son and his son's family? Give specific examples.

2. What do you think is the main reason for this attempt at control?

3. How do you think the grandfather's personality might be a metaphor for the "personality" of the Nazi regime?

Essay Topic 3

The chapter titled "Jungvolk" is very significant in that if the young can be influenced and changed, significant social changes can take place in a country almost overnight. 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. Once Hitler has the young people "in his pocket," he is well on his way to controlling Germany. Write an essay either agreeing or disagreeing with this statement, giving specific reasons and examples.

2. Not too long ago in the United States, President Obama addressed the youth in the schools in the nation as a whole. Discuss this situation, why some people were opposed to President Obama doing so, and any similarities between the novel, Friedrich, and that situation.

3. Bob Dylan wrote and released a song around 1963 titled, "The Times They Are a-Changin'." How are the lyrics to this song applicable to what is happening in 1930s Germany?

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