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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. The narrator says in Chapter Seven: "How Mother Took Credit for Something that She Hadn't Done,” that “Bruno had only known one person whom he considered to be mad and that was” whom?

2. What does Bruno consider to be the best thing about his house in Berlin, according to the author in Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"?

3. What does Maria tell Bruno she’d always enjoyed at the house in Berlin in Chapter Six: "The Overpaid Maid"?

4. What color hair is Bruno’s mother described as having in Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"?

5. What song is Bruno’s Grandmother said to have always sung at parties in Chapter Eight: "Why Grandmother Stormed Out"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the character of Bruno based on the reading of Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"?

2. What is revealed on the plaque that Bruno reads in Chapter Nine: "Bruno Remembers that He Used to Enjoy Exploration"?

3. How does Bruno come to discover his family is moving in Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"? How does Bruno respond?

4. Would you describe Bruno’s character as “innocent” in the novel? How “innocent” are Bruno’s parents?

5. Where does Bruno succeed in getting a tire in Chapter Seven: "How Mother Took Credit for Something that She Hadn't Done"? What does he do with it?

6. What does Maria relate to Bruno of his father’s actions toward her and her mother in Chapter Six: "The Overpaid Maid"?

7. How does Gretel go about attempting to cheer up her brother in Chapter Three: "The Hopeless Case"?

8. How is the character of Shmuel described in Chapter Ten: "The Dot that Became a Speck that Became a Blob that Became a Figure that Became a Boy"?

9. How does Bruno compare his new home to his old one in Chapter Two: "The New House"?

10. What is Gretel’s response to the mystery of the fence and what is beyond it in Chapter Four: "What they Saw through the Window"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the character of Bruno’s grandmother in the novel. What are Bruno’s feelings about his grandmother? What are his fondest memories of this character? What caused the rift between Bruno’s grandmother and Bruno’s father?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the character of Bruno’s father in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. How old is Bruno’s father? What are his notable characteristics in terms of demeanor? How would you describe his relationship with his wife and children? How does Bruno’s father evolve in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the setting of Berlin in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Against whom were the Germans fighting in World War II? When did the Third Reich begin? How is the setting described in Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"?

(see the answer keys)

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