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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. What is the title of Chapter 27?

2. What is the title of Chapter 16?

3. What is the title of Chapter 17?

4. What country does Viktor help his cousins get to?

5. Who is talking to Emmy in the picture in Chapter 17 taken in 1906?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Viktor escape Slovakia?

2. How did Vienna change during the war?

3. Why was Iggy happy to settle down in Tokyo?

4. Describe the family apartment when Elisabeth visits after the second world war.

5. Describe Emmy's relationship with her children.

6. What were conditions like in Tokyo in 1947?

7. How did Anna save the netsuke?

8. How did the Japanese company Sony develop?

9. Why were the netsuke so important to the children?

10. How did the First World War start?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which family member in the book does de Waal identify with the most? Why does he identify with that particular family member? How do think they would have gotten along if they had met in real life?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the book's chronological setting.

1. What were the main concerns during the early part of the 20th century? How does the author express these concerns?

2. How would the author change the book if it was set in today's society?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the Dreyfus affair.

1. What was the Dreyfus affair?

2. How was de Waal affected by the Dreyfus affair?

3. What was Emile Zola's role in the Dreyfus affair?

(see the answer keys)

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