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 happens to Bella after Useppe's death?

2. How does the family servant feel about Nino in 1945?

3. What does Useppe ask his mother not to tell Nino?

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

5. Why does Ida put Useppe in kindergarten?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Nino killed?

2. What happens to Hitler in 1945?

3. How does Ida feel about doctors?

4. How does Useppe die?

5. How does Ida feel about Useppe's frequent outings alone?

6. What were the Nuremberg trials?

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

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

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

10. Who is Scimo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nino is brazen and belligerent, obnoxious and disrespectful, but still a sympathetic character in many ways. Why does he behave the way he does toward his mother? Is he a bad person, or simply an immature boy with character flaws, trying to survive in a difficult situation? How do his feelings for his brother and dogs change the reader's perception of him? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Gunther only appears twice in the novel, but plays a major role. Is he a sympathetic character? Why does the author choose to mix such pitiable qualities with such a hateful persona? Are Gunther's mistakes a result of his situation, or is he an inherently bad person? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 827 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample