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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who comes to power in 1956?

2. What is the meaning of the 'S' stamped on Margolius' case file?

3. How is Margolius personally impacted by Slánský's arrest?

4. What does the Party tell Kovály they refused to do in regards to Margolius?

5. After her husband's death, for what does Kovály fear she would be arrested?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the portrayal of the Nazi concentration camps in "Under A Cruel Star." What are some anecdotes that Kovály shares with the reader? What is Kovály's personal experience in the concentration camps like? How does she overcome this trying period in her life?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the motif of escape in "Under A Cruel Star." Describe Kovály's escape from the Nazis. How does she do this and is she successful? How does she later escape from occupied Czechoslovakia and where does she go? How does she feel about leaving her homeland?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 303 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample