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. In "Anschluss," Viktor suggests to Liesel that they do what in order to help some of the refugees flooding into Czechoslovakia?

2. In "Birth," Viktor assesses Liesel's new form in her second pregnancy and believes she no longer looks human, but ____________.

3. Who does Liesel insist should be the godmother to her daughter, despite her husband's protestations?

4. In "Proposal," Kata insists that if this is love, Viktor would do what?

5. Who comforts Liesel when she becomes upset thinking of her brother in "Conception"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Liesel read about the house in "Happy Families"?

2. What emotional conflict does Hana face in "Memories"? Who consoles her?

3. How is the onyx wall proposed in "Onyx"? What are the differences in Liesel and Viktor's feelings about the house?

4. Where do Liesel and Viktor live in "Conception"? Who visits them?

5. What do Liesel and Viktor ask the architect to build in "Commitment"? What is his response?

6. What does Viktor discuss with Kata in "Proposal"? What concerns does Kata have?

7. Describe the character of Hana, as revealed in her first appearances in "Hana." How does Hana know Liesel?

8. Why is the Landauers' nanny leaving in "Gossip"? Whom does Liesel suggest as a replacement?

9. How does the affair between Viktor and Kata rekindle in "Ship"?

10. Who is Viktor looking for in "Loss"? Where is he?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the modernist movement in architecture and the impact of Mies van der Rohe in that movement. What are common elements of this style and approach?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the setting of the beginning of the novel and the background of the central characters. Where is Vienna in relation to Czechoslovakia and the Landauers' home?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the history and impact of World War I in Europe. How was Czechoslovakia affected by the war? How is this impact seen in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 909 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample