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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. To help haul ammunition, Kovály disguises herself as what?

2. What happens to Kovály's mother on arrival at the concentration camp?

3. After wandering Prague looking for help, where does Kovály find herself doubting her faith in God?

4. Who greets Kovály at Ruda's home?

5. While party officials publicly extol the virtues of proletariat work, what is going on in secret among government officials?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens economically in Prague shortly after the war's end?

2. What is said to have been the main topic of discussion for out of work Czechs after the war?

3. What does Kovály realize by attending Communist Party meetings?

4. What does Kovály notice about the confessions issued by people arrested by the Communists?

5. What is the Czechoslovakian economy like around 1950-51?

6. How does Kovály get back to Prague?

7. What complaint does Marta have about Vlada when Kovály met her?

8. After May 5th, 1945, what does Kovály observe in the final hours of the fight against the Germans?

9. What happens in Prague in October of 1941?

10. How are Kovály and Margolius able to communicate after his arrest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the Holocaust. How is it portrayed in "Under A Cruel Star"? What is the Holocaust and why does it occur? What is Hitler's role in this horrific chapter in human history?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author of "Under A Cruel Star," Heda Margolius Kovály. What does the reader learn about Kovály by reading this book? What are her defining characteristics and how do these characteristics help her throughout her life? Why is her life worth reading about?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the motif of fear and terror in "Under A Cruel Star." Of what is Kovály and the citizens of Czechoslovakia fearful? How is their fear conveyed to others? How does Kovály experience the fear of others? How does this fear affect her? Who is terrorizing Czechoslovakia and why? How are they spreading terror?

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