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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 confronted by Nino, Carlo claims to be a proponent of what political philosophy?

2. Ida meets another Giuseppe in 1943, and his profession is what?

3. Ida's parents raised her to be what religion?

4. What conference was held for the purposes of "racial planning"?

5. Of what nationality is Gunther?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is Gunther, at the start of the novel, and where is he going?

2. In what state is Carlo Vivaldi when he first arrives at the shelter in 1943?

3. How are Ida's parents characterized?

4. What happens when the monk arrives at the shelter?

5. What is happening to the Jews in the ghetto, in 1941?

6. Who is Carulina?

7. What concerns does Ida have about Nino and herself, in 1940?

8. What does Nino do for his little brother when Useppe is very young?

9. What happens when Gunther goes into Remo's in the first chapter?

10. How does Useppe sometimes affect Nino's mood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nino's attitudes toward the war, politics, and his family's situation change drastically after the war ends. Why do these changes occur? How do Nino's relationships with his revolutionary friends change as a result of his changed beliefs? What are his new priorities, and why? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

The author includes a great deal of history with the fiction in the novel. Why does she provide so much background information? How does it affect readers' interpretation and understanding of the novel? Why? Are there details in the novel which would be less clear if this information was not provided? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Useppe's behavior changed drastically after his mother attempted to enroll him in school. Why do these changes occur? Why does Ida begin to believe that there is something wrong with Useppe? Is she right? What caused his behavioral problems? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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This section contains 780 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample