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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. Useppe's doctor wants Useppe to look at what caged animal?

2. Scimo admits, to Useppe, that he escaped from what?

3. Davide tells Nino that, someday, he wants to do what?

4. Nino is very proud of what possession in 1946?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What is Nino's situation, in 1944?

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

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

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

8. What happens to Hitler in 1945?

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

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

Clemente and the other survivors who return from the war are forever changed, and unable to tolerate those who can only imagine what they went through. In what ways are they representative of all war survivors? How do they re-acquaint themselves with everyday life, and try to get over the atrocities they witnessed? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Carlo's character is, at times, mysterious, sinister, pitiable and despicable. Why does his character change so much throughout the course of the novel? What literary purpose does his character serve? What is he supposed to represent? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 757 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample