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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. Where does Herta work when Odilo Unverdorben meets her?

2. How do people feel about the Jews whom the narrator thinks are brought to life at Schless-Hartheim?

3. What does Odilo Unverdorben see at Auschwitz when he visits with his family?

4. How does Odilo Unverdorben travel through Germany?

5. What does the narrator look forward to in Odilo Unverdorben's work at Auschwitz?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator's impression of the killings at Schless-Hartheim increase the reader's sense of sympathy for the people the Nazis killed there?

2. How is the narrator right about Odilo Unverdorben's personality as a young man?

3. Describe the similarities and differences between Odilo Unverdorben and Uncle Pepi.

4. Describe the irony of the narrator thinking that Odilo Unverdorben and Herta are taking apart baby furniture and un-sewing baby clothes.

5. How does the narrator describe the Jews' experiences at Auschwitz?

6. What is the importance of Odilo Unverdorben's childhood home?

7. As Odilo Unverdorben ages, how is the narrator affected by his time at Auschwitz?

8. Describe the narrator's relationship with Odilo Unverdorben's father.

9. How do Odilo Unverdorben's dreams change as he returns (according to the narrator's backward timeline) to his youth?

10. Describe Odilo Unverdorben's courtship of Herta.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

By the time he gets to America as John Young and then Tod Friendly, Odilo Unverdorben is on a mission to redeem himself.

1. Whose forgiveness does he seek? Does he attain it from them? Why or why not?

2. Who would Odilo have had to go to, to get forgiveness? Is there anyone with authority who could absolve him of his actions?

3. Is it enough that Odilo tries to redeem himself? Do his actions balance each other? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Experiencing everything backward, the narrator mistakes helping people for hurting people and vice versa. Citing specific examples from the text, explore the meaning of this backwardness.

1. Does the narrator experience normal human reactions to what he sees, or are his emotions backward too? Can we trust him to have feelings based on what he sees?

2. Does the narrator's backwardness portray pain and assistance in a new or surprising light? What do we learn from the narrator about how people hurt or help each other?

3. Does the narrator's backwardness make us more or less sensitive to people's sufferings?

Essay Topic 3

The motto at Schless-Hertheim is "There is such a thing as life that is not worthy of life." Is this motto reinforced by the events that take place after the war? Is it undermined?

1. Cite specific instances from the text where characters support or contradict this motto.

2. Are characters conflicted within themselves about this idea? How do they resolve this internal conflict?

(see the answer keys)

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