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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. Oskar Schindler dreamed of growing up to become. . .

2. What was the name of Schindler's beautiful Polish secretary?

3. When speaking with Oskar in Chapter 12, Philip finds some graffiti on the wall written in Polish. Philip translates it. What did it say?

4. How many women did Schindler estimate were to live in each barracks in Plaszow?

5. In the Prologue, what does Goeth refer to Schindler as?

Short Essay Questions

1. Unlike the secret pictures taken by Babar in Chapter 25, Raimund Titsch took rolls of photographs with Goeth's knowledge. In fact, many of them were of Goeth, as well as Goeth's girlfriend Majola. What does the fact that Goeth allowed this tell you about him?

2. When Oskar is trying to leave Brinnlitz, his car won't start. What was the cause?

3. How did young Olek Rosner get some water when the train from Goleszow finally stopped?

4. Mila and Poldek Pfefferberg meet and marry in the Jewish ghetto. Why might Keneally have included this information in the midst of the ghetto clearance, in which thousands were killed.

5. Describe how the dinner party contrasts with the season Keneally describes in the book's Prologue.

6. At the beginning of Chapter 6, Keneally describes Oskar Schindler using "portable wealth--diamonds, gold, trade goods" as the desirable currency of the day. Describe some of the "trade goods" that you think might have been used as currency or barter since much of the Jewish wealth had been confiscated.

7. In the Prologue, Keneally describes "a prison road paved with Jewish gravestones." Discuss the symbolism of this image.

8. Describe Oskar Schindler's physical appearance.

9. Explain why you think pharmacist Bachner returned from Prokocim to the Cracow ghetto, rather than trying to escape to freedom.

10. Chapter 16 compares the ZOB's resistance style (blowing things up) against Oskar's style (protecting his Jewish workers). Describe which method you think is more effective, and why.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The characters in the novel experienced every kind of emotion possible. Do you think Keneally was simply trying to tell the story of Oskar Schindler with this book, or was he trying to elicit emotions in the reader? State your reasoning, and back it up with specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Oskar Schindler made huge sums of money during the war, yet he died penniless, supported by those he saved. He tried starting two different businesses in two different countries, both of which failed. What factors did you recognize from the book that may have contributed to his ability to succeed during the war, but inability to make money in business after the war?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 2, Oskar Schindler befriends Itzhak Stern, and puts in motion the process of buying and running the Rekord factory. Choose one of the following to write about. Be sure to explain your answers, using at least one reference from the book.

1. Do you think Oskar Schindler was already entertaining the idea of sheltering Jews in his factory by the end of Chapter 2? Why or why not? Are there instances in Chapters 3-5 that support your opinion? If so, what are they?

2. If Oskar Schindler were experiencing cognitive dissonance over the persecution of the Jews, why do you think he would buy an entire factory in which to shelter them? Couldn't he do something less risky, like carry messages in his travels? Explain why you think Oskar Schindler chose this path.

3. At the end of Chapter 2, Stern refers to a Talmudic verse, and believes that quoting that verse made a difference in Oskar's eventual actions. What was that verse, and why do you think it could have made a difference? At this point in the book, Schindler has never saved anyone, he's a member of the German occupation and not a Jew. What possible benefit could he have seen from embarking on buying a factory and filling it with Jews? And how does that action tie in with Stern's reference?

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