View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What nation did Italy and Germany cooperatively attack, in 1941?

2. How old is Ninuzzu in Chapter 3?

3. What physical condition does Ida pretend to have, to cover up her second pregnancy?

4. What country was abandoned by its King and government leaders in 1943?

5. Gandhi was arrested by troops from what nation, in 1942?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Blitz when Nino leaves to serve in a battalion?

2. How is Ida Mancuso described, at the beginning of Chapter 2?

3. Why does Nino quit school?

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

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

6. How does the author set the stage for the novel's action, in the first chapter?

7. What was the situation of the Jews in 1938?

8. What is the general worldwide trend in the war, according to the history presented in 1943?

9. How does Ida respond to the air raid sirens, beginning in 1943?

10. How are Ida's parents characterized?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Davide feels compelled to lecture to the people in the tavern, though they do not receive him well, and do their best to ignore him. Why does he feel that he needs to proselytize when no one is interested? How does Davide respond when they fail to listen to him, and why? What topics does he touch upon, and how does he feel about them? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Ida has a deep-seated fear of doctors and electricity, which interferes with Useppe's treatment. Why does she have these fears? Are they reasonable? Is she simply trying to protect her son, or giving into irrational fears? Why? Are these fears well-founded? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 774 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample