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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. In 1947 and early 1948, from what does Kovály isolate herself?

2. With what do workdays in the camp typically begin and end?

3. What news arrives for Kovály almost daily after the war?

4. Where does Kovály realize some important Communist officers live?

5. Who is Jan Masaryk?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the Nazis do as the Russian army advance westward?

2. What happens in Prague in October of 1941?

3. What brought the war to a conclusion for Kovály personally?

4. Why is Kovály hesitant to get involved with the Communist Party?

5. After Margolius' death, why does Kovály worry that she would be arrested?

6. What happens economically in the spring of 1953?

7. At the beginning of the book, what does Kovály say shapes her life?

8. What does Kovály say many industrialists are unaware of during the war?

9. What treatment does Kovály receive following Margolius' arrest?

10. Describe the mass meeting Kovály attended in 1967.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of Hitler and Stalin in Kovály`s life. Who is Adolf Hitler and how does he affect Kovály`s life? Who is Stalin and how does he affect Kovály's life?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the setting of the memoir "Under A Cruel Star." How does Kovály portray her native country and what are her feelings about it? What problems is Czechoslovakia faced with throughout the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss anti-Semitism in "Under A Cruel Star." In what way does Kovály face anti-Semitism and how does this sentiment affect her life? How does she handle this prejudice against her?

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