View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who helps Helmut obtain consistent food?

2. What makes the children start to fight when Mutti speaks with the farmer?

3. What opportunity opens up for Papi?

4. What causes Helmut to smile for the first time in a photo?

5. What is the reaction of the refugees when they first meet Helmut?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. 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?

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

4. 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.

5. At the beginning of the war efforts, Helmut is intent on joining the army. Despite his arm, he is adamant about joining. Why is the army so vital in Helmut's life?

6. 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?

7. Refugees come through Berlin and some speak of a brutal Soviet army the size of a continent. Others deny their truths and say it is not so. Why is it hard to know what is true and what is not? Who is right?

8. When the family eats their soup, Juri shyly offers his bread to Tomas. What does this indicate about Juri and his family?

9. 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?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Helmut listens to the radio for Germany's progress. At the same time, he notices an emptying of Berlin. The two are correlated, but it is a mystery to Helmut. What is the correlation and what makes it difficult for Helmut to see how the victories abroad are tied to the city's emptiness?

Essay Topic 2

Summarize Tomas character and discuss the significance of his role in the novel. Why does Seiffert write him as a thief who steals from a dead Jew? What does this signify about the war, post-war, to Lore?

Essay Topic 3

Many characters in the novel are shown doing both good and bad deeds. Write about what makes a person good or bad. What goes into the title of good or bad?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,577 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample