View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is NOT one of the ways Helga made a living when she was separated from the narrator?

2. Arpad Kovacs was personally congratulated by __________, whom he would have killed had he known how important he was.

3. The narrator tells Epstein's mother that "auf wiedersehen" means "goodbye" in German, but she corrects him by telling him it more precisely means:

4. Where does Helga get the money to be able to reunite with the narrator?

5. What made Goebbels think that Abraham Lincoln might be Jewish?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Explain why the narrator thinks Helga is "amazingly well-preserved."

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

4. Why was Lionel Jones sent to prison (before he became acquainted with the narrator), and based on what evidence?

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

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

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

8. Describe the narrator's lifestyle while he is in hiding. How does he live and from where does he get his income?

9. Of what does the Haifa Institute consider Heinz Schildknecht to be an expert and why?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think the narrator decides to commit suicide once the fact that he was an American spy is verified and he is no longer wanted for war crimes? Discuss reasons you believe the narrator would prefer to end his life rather than begin a new life as a free man.

Essay Topic 2

Some of the younger characters in the novel, such as Dr. Epstein and the narrator's Israeli-born guard, think discussing what happened in the death camps pointless or irrelevant. Discuss whether these attitudes are healthy examples of people trying to get on with their lives and not be burdened by the past or a troubling example of living in denial.

Essay Topic 3

Consider Howard and Helga's "Nation of Two." Is such a concept a good idea for a couple, a family, or even a single person? Discuss pros and cons of small groups or individuals considering themselves to be their own nation.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 811 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample