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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. Why doesn't Davide drink the wine Useppe brings to him?

2. What is not a condition from which Useppe is suffering in 1946?

3. Who murders Santina?

4. From where does Nino send Ida a postcard, in late 1944?

5. Why does Ida allow Useppe to wander freely with Bella?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the Nuremberg trials?

2. What does Davide do, immediately after the war ends?

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

4. In what ways does Ida sacrifice her own well-being for that of her son, in 1944?

5. How does Nino's outlook on life change after the end of the war?

6. How does Ida feel about doctors?

7. What happens to Ida after Useppe's death?

8. What relationship develops between Bella and Useppe in 1947?

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

10. How is Nino killed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ida spends her entire life feeling like she is an outsider who must keep secrets, even from those she loves most. Why doesn't Ida feel as if she fits in anywhere? How would her life have been different if she were not of mixed blood? Why? Are Ida's feelings justified? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Ida's parents are discussed at the beginning of the novel, as well as her girlhood. Which of Ida's traits did she inherit from her parents? Which were genetic, and which were learned behaviors? Is there any way of knowing for sure? Are there any events during Ida's childhood which affect the rest of her life? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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