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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. How many siblings does Ida have?

2. How do the workers and patrons at Remo's treat Gunther?

3. As a baby, where does Useppe spend most of his time?

4. Why was Carlo originally arrested by the Germans?

5. What does a stranger tell Useppe about Blitz, after their building is bombed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens between Ida and Gunther?

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

3. What changes come over Nino, in 1942?

4. How is Gunther described?

5. How does Ida and Useppe's living situation change in 1944?

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

7. How does Useppe respond when he is left alone by Ida as a baby?

8. How does Nino treat his mother when he is 16?

9. What important object does Nino lose in 1942?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Scimo is a character who seems almost surreal, and leads the reader to wonder if he is simply a figment of Useppe's imagination. Is there any way to tell for sure if Scimo is real or not? Why? What purpose does his character serve? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

There are strange and surreal events in the novel, such as Caruli's story about the dirigible, which don't make sense, and which make the reader question the validity of the rest of the events. Why does the author make the truth of these events so ambiguous? What literary purpose do they serve? Are they effective? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Ida often leaves Useppe home alone, either because she has to go to work, or because she is too ashamed to be seen with him. What effect do the long solitary hours have on Useppe? Does he seem bothered by the solitude? Why or why not? How might a child of a different disposition react to his situation? Why? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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