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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. Who is Jan Masaryk?

2. How does Kovály travel to Prague after reaching the outskirts of the city?

3. Following the end of the war, how do the Prague civil authorities handle the return of concentration camp prisoners?

4. Which of the following does the owner of the publishers NOT instruct Kovály about?

5. What happens in Prague on May 5th, 1945?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens in Czechoslovakia as 1948 drew to a close?

2. Why is Communism appealing to the Czech people after the war?

3. What happens to Kovály's family at Auschwitz?

4. What is contained in the note that Ruda sends Kovály after she settles in his apartment?

5. What happens in Prague in October of 1941?

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

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

8. How does Kovály describe Margolius' work ethic?

9. What is Kovály's last meeting with Margolius like?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the conclusion of the memoir "Under A Cruel Star." What happens at the end of the story? Is it a happy ending? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the motif of hope and hopelessness in "Under A Cruel Star." When does Kovály feel hopelessness? How does she cope with this feeling? What causes her to feel this way? How does she overcome this feeling? What brings her hope? How is she able to remain hopeful despite the awful situations she faces?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. When does it occur and how does it affect Kovály? Why does the Soviet Bloc feel compelled to occupy Czechoslovakia?

(see the answer keys)

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