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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. When Bruno crosses to the other side of the fence in Chapter Nineteen: "What Happened the Next Day,” he is surprised that the grownups are not doing what?

2. When Bruno’s head has been shaved in Chapter Sixteen: "The Haircut,” his father tells him the hair will grow back in how much time?

3. What does Shmuel promise to bring to Bruno when they meet for the last time in Chapter Eighteen: "Thinking Up the Final Adventure"?

4. What is Bruno doing when his sister Gretel comes into his room in Chapter Fourteen: "Bruno Tells a Perfectly Reasonable Lie"?

5. The narrator says of Bruno in Chapter Fifteen: "Something He Shouldn't Have Done,” that he “had been spending more time with Gretel lately and had developed a liking for” what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is represented by the character called “the Fury” in the novel?

2. What does Shmuel tell Bruno of his life before the camp in Chapter Twelve: "Shmuel Thinks of an Answer to Bruno's Question"?

3. How does the friendship between Shmuel and Bruno develop in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

4. How would you characterize the denouement of the novel in Chapter Twenty: "The Last Chapter"?

5. What happens as Bruno begins to get ready to leave the camp in Chapter Nineteen: "What Happened the Next Day"?

6. How does Gretel’s character evolve in the narrative? What leads to the biggest changes in Gretel’s character?

7. What leads to the scary incident between Lieutenant Kotler and Pavel in Chapter Thirteen: "The Bottle of Wine"?

8. How does Bruno’s family respond to his disappearance in Chapter Twenty: "The Last Chapter"?

9. What exchange takes place between Bruno and Lieutenant Kotler in Chapter Fifteen: "Something He Shouldn't Have Done"?

10. How does Shmuel explain his absence when he finally sees Bruno in Chapter Eighteen: "Thinking Up the Final Adventure"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the motif of Adolf Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies and racially motivated ideology in Nazi Germany as seen throughout The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. How are racism and anti-Semitism portrayed in the novel? What characters display these characteristics?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the character of Lieutenant Kotler in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. How old is Kotler said to be? How is his appearance described? Why does Bruno dislike this character? Who in Bruno’s family shows admiration for Lieutenant Kotler? What happens to this character?

Essay Topic 3

Define “irony” and the different forms of irony used in literature. Discuss how author John Boyne makes extensive use of irony throughout The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. How does irony apply to Bruno’s perception of Out-With? How is dramatic irony used in the denouement of the story?

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