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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. What was the name of Clements Olin’s maternal grandfather?

2. The man who points out the different locations at the camp in the dormitory in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 2 says to the traveler, “Why do you stare, if I may ask? You never see” what before?

3. Who painted Young Woman with Ermine?

4. Who is the “glum American rabbi” that instructs the other retreat attendees about the ram’s horn in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 4?

5. Inside the concentration camp, the narrator describes Block 10 as the location where “the assorted sadisms” of what were administered, in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. When did Olin’s grandparents and father leave Europe, according to the narrator in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 5?

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

3. What is taking place when Mr. Earwig initiates a conflict in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 4?

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

5. How would you describe the narrative style established in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 1?

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

7. What confrontation takes place between Earwig and Olin outside the crematorium in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 4?

8. What does Olin consider about the concept of “bearing witness” in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 4?

9. What symbolic items did Olin’s grandfather bring with him to the New World, according to the narrator in Part II: “In the Ogre’s Cave,” Chapter 5? Why?

10. What does Olin point out about the history of Oswiecim in Part I: “A Guest of Poland,” Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character of Ben Lama in the narrative. What is Ben Lama’s role at the retreat? Where is he from? What are Ben’s objectives at the retreat?

Essay Topic 2

Identity and Self-Discovery

a. Discuss the themes of identity and self-discovery as they apply to protagonist Clements Olin in the novel. What does Clements come to discover about himself in the course of the story?

b. How do the themes of identity and self-discovery apply to the character of Georgie Earwig in the novel? Why is it important to Earwig to learn his family’s name?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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