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

2. What is Rifka's last name?

3. Why can Rifka not remember her older brothers in America?

4. Who is Rifka's grandmother?

5. How does Rifka close her first letter to Tovah?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is Rifka doing as the novel opens?

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

4. What does Rifka tell Tovah about her role in the family's escape plan?

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

6. How does Rifka spend her time at the hospital when she goes to see her family?

7. What happens when Mama, Papa and Nathan come down with typhus, and where do Rifka and Saul go?

8. Why is Rifka acting as a distraction on the train?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despite the extremely trying times of people living in the post World War I immigration era, there are some who are very generous and supportive of each other. Cite at least three examples that show this strength of character and generosity.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 777 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample