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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 do the parks outside the Votivkirche have stenciled on them?

2. Why did the Japanese decide to accept the Pan Pan girls?

3. What is the title of Chapter 27?

4. Where is the chest from that the wooden Buddha in Iggy's house sits on?

5. What is the title of Chapter 24?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Vienna change during the war?

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

3. How did Viktor escape Slovakia?

4. In what way were conditions worsening at the end of Chapter 23?

5. Describe Emmy's relationship with her children.

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

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

8. What does Edmund's father find for Edmund that he thinks will be important to his research?

9. How did Austrian government react to the atrocities of World War Two?

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

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 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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the differences between the novel and autobiography formats. What are the main elements of a book? What are the main elements of an autobiography? What can novelists express that an autobiographer cannot? How can autobiographies keep to the facts while still maintaining a level of entertainment?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 816 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample