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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. Whom does the traveler recall having said to him of his trip to Poland, “You really have no choice about it, do you?” in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 2?

2. What city does the traveler arrive in after taking a cab from the airport in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 1?

3. What is the name of Clements Olin’s father in the novel?

4. What Viennese Holocaust survivor is quoted in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 5 as having said, “We who have come back, we know. The best of us did not return”?

5. Where was chemist and writer Primo Levi born?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Mirek and Wanda respond when they arrive at Olin’s destination in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 2?

2. How has the group dynamic evolved when the narrative returns to the present tense in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 5?

3. What is on the agenda for the first morning of the retreat in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 3?

4. How is the conflict involving Mr. Earwig resolved in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 4?

5. What about Commandant Rudolf Höss fascinates Olin, according to the narrator in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 5?

6. How is the setting described in the opening of Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 2?

7. What does Olin consider about his behavior after the departure of Wanda and Mirek in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 2?

8. How does Dr. Stern describe the mission of the retreat in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 3? Who has come to attend the retreat?

9. How does Dr. Stern describe his personal mission in attending the retreat in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 3?

10. How does the narrator describe Dr. Olin’s professional objectives at the retreat in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the city of Oswiecim and discuss its significance to Clements Olin in the narrative. What does Clements point out of the setting when it is encountered? What relationship to Mirek and Wanda have to this city?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the character of G. Earwig in the novel. How does Earwig’s behavior stand apart from the other retreat attendees? Where is Earwig from? What do you think his objectives are in attending the retreat?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the role that the Catholic Church played in the actions of the Holocaust. Why do some of the retreat attendees express disdain for the Church and its history in regard to the treatment of Jews? Is there evidence to back up these claims?

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