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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 reason does Rifka give the Russian soldiers for why she is on the train?

2. What does Saul buy every morning for his and Rifka's breakfast?

3. Who is Rifka's grandmother?

4. Who is Rifka's uncle who helped her family escape?

5. The Russian guards were searching for Nathan because ____________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Rifka doing as the novel opens?

2. What is Saul's advice for preventing the innkeeper's daughter from eating her food in the future?

3. What kind deed does Rifka do for a girl on the train to Warsaw which will have negative repercussions for her?

4. What is revealed about why Rifka and her family had to leave Russia?

5. What is revealed about Rifka and her family, and why they had to leave Russia?

6. What lie does Rifka tell to the guards on the train in order to quell their suspicions?

7. How is life in Russia better for Tovah than it was for Rifka?

8. What humiliating things are forced upon Rifka and her family by the guards and a doctor at the Polish border?

9. Why will the steamship company not sell a ticket to Rifka for passage to America?

10. What disease is Rifka diagnosed with in Poland and what is her prognosis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the irony of Rifka's beautiful blond hair distracting the guards so that her family can be safe, but how her own life is in jeopardy when she loses her hair from illness.

Essay Topic 2

Even though she is not a true character in the book, what role does Tovah play in the story? Cite examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Religion takes on an almost human persona in this book. What role does religion play in the lives of the characters? What disagreements occurred over religion? What decisions were made in the name of religion? Are there instances where unkind events happen in the name of religion? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 862 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample