View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why is Mutti embarrassed of Helmut?
(a) Helmut takes bad pictures for Gladigau.
(b) Because Helmut cannot join the army.
(c) Helmut is not very bright.
(d) She considers his quiet behavior rude.

2. What do families feel towards Helmut before the bombing?
(a) Indifference.
(b) Delight.
(c) Pity.
(d) Resentment.

3. What transaction occurs between Mutti and the visitors from the jeep?
(a) They both sign some papers.
(b) They search her home.
(c) They hand Mutti some food.
(d) Mutti hands them money and jewelry.

4. Who are Gladigau's most common clients?
(a) Widowed men and soldiers.
(b) Whole families.
(c) Soldiers off to war or widowed women.
(d) Widows and orphaned children.

5. What is Lore's reaction to the twin's sprawl on the ground?
(a) Anger.
(b) Laughter.
(c) Tears.
(d) Frustration.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Helmut's secret agenda regarding the photos he takes of Berlin?

2. Where does Helmut find safety after the second bombing is over?

3. What is Lore's role in the family?

4. What does Gladigau's neighborhood look like when Helmut finds it?

5. What opportunity does Gladigau give Helmut?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Lore is sure Tomas is asleep, she buries the last remaining keepsakes of Vati. Why does she do this when they seemed safe in her apron?

2. Helmut is not strong or smart. Yet, there are indications that Helmut is clever about getting what he wants. Give an example of how Helmut shows his clever ways.

3. Germany is in the midst of war and has been for several years. The second bombing that Helmut experiences is the worst so far. Describe the new changes and routine to which the inhabitants of Berlin must adapt.

4. Helmut has the opportunity to work as a soldier five years into the war. What are Helmut's thoughts and feelings towards being a soldier?

5. Helmut catalogues Berlin through his snapshots. For months, Helmut sees the emptying of the city. When Gladigau interprets the pictures, he sees Berlin as the home it always is. What does Helmut learn about photography from this experience?

6. Describe Lore's role in the family.

7. As Lore and her siblings walk on, some seem suspicious of their backgrounds but people usually help them anyway. Why do some people look at Lore's family with disdain but eventually help?

8. Mutti tries to burn the badges but they do not burn all the way. Lore tries to throw them deep into the river, but buries them in the bushes when this does not work. What do the badges and the efforts to rid them symbolize?

9. Although Seiffert does not say much about the farmers, what are the implied feelings of the farmers?

10. During one of Helmut's walks around the city, he encounters the SS collecting and trucking the gypsies away. What is Helmut's reaction to this event?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,505 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample