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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 surprising revelation does Helga give the narrator after their first night back together?

2. Which of the following is NOT a place the narrator met with the Blue Fairy Godmother?

3. What was the subject of a note Eichmann sends to the narrator when they are both in jail?

4. What does the narrator notice about the air when he returns to the attic?

5. Who was Private Irving Buchanon?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Lazlo Szombathy, the man who uses the rope intended for the narrator. What had he done in his native country and after coming to America?

2. Summarize the key points of the narrator's radio address that was played at the Iron Guard meeting.

3. What does the narrator suggests happened to George Kraft's pipe?

4. What inspires August Krapptauer to start a youth movement and what is its key aim?

5. According to Frank Wirtanen, why do the Russians want to get their hands on the narrator?

6. Describe what Stepan Bodovskov does with the narrator's writings. What is the result?

7. Describe the narrator's encounter with Adolf Eichmann in the Tel Aviv jail.

8. When the narrator returns to his ransacked attic home, what does it remind him of?

9. Describe the appearance of the Iron Guardsmen.

10. Describe what happened to the narrator after being beaten and knocked unconscious.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mother Night is a fictionalized account related to real events. Discuss whether you think works like Mother Night help us to understand historical events better or if pure historical accounts alone are sufficient. You may want to discuss whether historical novels have a place in a history class or belong only in a literature course.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Compare the treatment of Nazis in Mother Night to portrayals of Nazis in other works of literature, movies, or television shows (some examples: Schindler's List, Sophie's Choice, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Sound of Music, Life is Beautiful, Hogan's Heroes, etc.). Does the novel present Nazis in a more or less favorable light than other works? Does the treatment of Nazis in Mother Night seem more or less realistic?

(see the answer keys)

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