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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 secret does Resi reveal to the narrator before he leaves for the front lines?

2. What does Helga say is the reason she did not get in touch with the narrator when she learned of his whereabouts?

3. After the war, how many years did the narrator live in New York?

4. What sport did the narrator and Heinz Schildknecht play together?

5. When the narrator was serving as an American agent, how did he send coded information out of Germany?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Free American Corps. What was its purpose and how successful was it?

2. Describe the narrator's and Helga's careers before the war begins, and how do they support each other in their careers?

3. How does information regarding the narrator's whereabouts end up in The White Christian Minuteman?

4. What reason does Andor Gutman give for thinking that the position of "corpse-carrier" would be a good job?

5. What effect does the narrator's broadcast have on Werner Noth?

6. Describe Resi's reaction to the news that her dog must be killed.

7. What is Goebbels' response to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address?

8. What is Arpad Kovacs response when he reads the contents of one of Campbell's radio broadcasts?

9. Briefly explain the "Nation of Two" the narrator frequently mentions. What is its original meaning and what does it signify to the narrator personally?

10. How and where does the narrator learn the lurid details of his father-in-law's death and what does the narrator find troubling about the article, besides the fact that it is about the death of someone he knows?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A friend of yours is considering reading Mother Night and wants your opinion. Write your friend a letter telling him or her what you think of the novel. Do you think it's a good novel or a waste of time? Discuss reasons for your opinions.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Resi's behavior when the narrator meets her in the music room before going to the front lines. Does Resi's behavior seem appropriate for a child her age? Why or why not? Discuss how Resi's circumstances may have affected her attitudes and behaviors.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss nationalism and patriotism as it relates to the novel. Does the novel handle these ideas as generally good, bad, or neutral? How does the narrator feel about these issues? Be sure to use examples to support your argument.

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