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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. Who is Black Hand?

2. Where does Ida spend the last nine years of her life?

3. What type of food does Useppe buy for himself and Bella during one of their adventures in the city?

4. Scimo tells Useppe that he is too little to accompany Scimo where?

5. According to Davide, why is there no need for a revolution in 1947?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ida feel about doctors?

2. Who is Bella, and how is she introduced to the story?

3. How do Useppe's feelings about newspapers change in 1945?

4. What is the situation of the few Jews who return to the Ghetto in 1945?

5. What health problem does Useppe develop in 1946, and how does he respond?

6. How does Bella save Useppe's life in 1947?

7. Who is Scimo?

8. What happens when Ida tries to put Useppe in school?

9. How do Useppe and Ida react when the Allied forces enter Rome in 1944?

10. What does Davide say about Jesus, during his tavern lecture?

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

Nino is arrogant and belligerent toward many people, but he has a soft spot for his brother and dogs. Why is Nino's relationship with his brother different from his relationship with his mother and the other people he associates with? Why does he develop such a strong bond with Useppe? Why doesn't he react to Useppe the way Ida expects him to? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 851 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample