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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 Thomas an expert on?

2. What is the title of Chapter 17?

3. What does Richter and Henker translate to in English?

4. Which country do the Ephrussi go to for their long month away?

5. What do the Austrian people boycott on April 23?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What signs are there in Chapter 24 that the Nazis are taking over?

3. Why did Iggy find it easy to settle down in Tokyo than some other foreigners?

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

5. What were conditions like in Tokyo in 1947?

6. What does Edmund discover about how Viktor and Emmy lived their lives?

7. Why did Iggy like Japan?

8. What was Elisabeth's passion as a student?

9. How did Elisabeth help her parents flee the country?

10. How is it suggested that the American took advantage of the Japanese during their occupation of the country?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

How was Hitler able to turn the public against the Jews and other minorities in Germany? What was the environment in Germany that allowed him to create such hatred towards the minorities? What has western Europe done to ensure this won't happen again?

(see the answer keys)

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