Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7

Transcription

1 Chapter 1 1. What were some signs that Mother and Papa were planning an escape? 2. What was the main character doing when the soldiers came? 3. Describe Mother. 4. Who has barged into their house? 5. How long were they given to pack their things? Chapter 2 1. What was on the window sill when she went back to her room? 2. What does Mother say is priority when they are packing? 3. What does Mother make Lina promise? 4. What is Lina s brother s name and how old is he? 5. What does Lina pack beside clothes? 6. What does the italicized text indicate? 7. What is her memory of? 8. Why did the woman give her the bread for free? Chapter 3 1. Why was Mother breaking their fine things? 2. What does mother say happened to the things when the police question her? 3. Why do you think Mother is being kind to these men and saying things like pardon me? 4. What do you think it would be like to not look in the mirror for a decade? Chapter 4 1. Why do you think mother wanted Lina to keep her head down? 2. What does davai mean? 3. Why doesn t Mother want the officer to touch her coat? 4. What does Lina realize when she gets on the truck? 5. Why did the truck stop at the hospital? 6. What do you think this list is? Chapter 5 1. How long have they been waiting at the hospital? 2. What does the bald man want Jonas to do? 3. What is Mother s name? 4. Why do you think Mother is ignoring her cousin Regina? 5. What is Papa s name and job? 6. What is Lina s flashback of? 7. Why does Lina yell at the man to shut up? Chapter 6 1. Do you think that a baby would be considered a criminal today? Explain your answer. 2. What is the new mother s name? 3. What does Jonas offer to make a splint for the bald man? 4. Why do you think the woman keeps crying? 5. What does Lina mean about them (they people in the truck/lithuanians) being swept under the rug? Chapter 7 1. What important advice does Mother give to the children? 2. What did the officer tell Mother when she said they needed a stretcher? 3. What makes Mother scream? 4. What happened to Jonas as they were fighting for him? 5. What finally convinces the officer to let Jonas stay with them? 6. What do you think human life is worth?

2 Chapter 8 1. Why do you think the officers wanted to take Jonas away? 2. What type of train cards are they getting into? 3. What does Mother tell Jonas they are doing? Chapter 9 1. Why do you think the bald man is so grouchy? 2. Where are all the men? 3. How do you think they are sorting people? Are there any definite categories? If so, what are they? 4. Why do you think the woman in the corner was unwilling to give up her spot? 5. How would you describe Mother s personality and her actions? 6. What was the family doing in Lina s flashback? Chapter How many people are in the car total? 2. What are two of their possible destinations? 3. What emotion to you think you would be feeling if you were in the box car with all these other people? 4. Describe officer s wives. 5. How was Andrius mother able to keep him with her? 6. Why couldn t Ona s baby feed? 7. Why do you think Mrs. Rimas told stories to the kids? 8. What is Lina s hobby? Chapter How old is Andrius? 2. Why do you think Mother says they should be thankful? 3. Where are the children going after Andrius wakes Lina? 4. What does the train car say on the outside? b. Why do you think they re labeled this way? 5. Where are the NKVD taking them? 6. What does Papa give them? 7. What does Papa tell Lina to have? Chapter What other language does Mother speak? 2. What does Mrs. Arydas know about her husband? 3. Why does Mother say to give the grouchy man her piece of ham? Why do you think he doesn t accept it? Chapter What are they given to eat? 2. Who has the wisdom to divvy out the food? 3. What did the slop resemble? 4. Has Andrius returned yet? 5. Why is Stalin moving them out of Lithuania temporarily? 6. What will Papa recognize Lina by? Chapter Who does Lina discover is under their train car? 2. Describe Andrius face. 3. How did Lina hide herself when the officers came by? 4. Why did the guards leave? Chapter What woke Lina up? 2. What was the priest doing to the train car?

3 Chapter What station are they coming to? 2. What did the iron wolf symbolize? 3. What was Lina s drawing of? 4. What does the man from the woods tell them? 5. What were the men singing? Chapter What is Lina going to draw on? 2. What would the guards ask for when they stopped? 3. Explain the quote Death had begun to gather a crop. 4. Why did Andrius take the buckets from Lina? Chapter What direction were they traveling? 2. What did Lina write on the handkerchief? 3. How many days have they traveled? 4. What army had moved into Lithuania? Chapter Why did Ona not want to give her child up even though she was dead? 2. Do you think the thing (baby) is better off? 3. Why doesn t anyone scold Andrius for yelling at the bald man (Mr. Stalas)? 4. Why does Jonas call Ona s baby our baby? 5. Who is Lina drawing in her flashback? Chapter What boundary do the Ural Mountains form? 2. How did they finally get the dead baby out of the train? 3. Why did Mrs. Grybas say she dropped the baby? 4. Why do you think Mother wasn t worried about Jonas smoking a cigarette? 5. Why does Mother thank God for Andrius? 6. Why is Mrs. Grybas upset with the boys? Chapter Why did it feel like they were riding a pendulum? 2. What did Mother buy at Omsk? 3. Why would Mother want to buy a newspaper? 4. Do you think Mother wasted her money? Explain your answer. Chapter How long have they been traveling? 2. How does Lina describe the people in the train car? 3. Why do you think Mother put on lipstick? 4. Describe where they are. 5. How did Lina say it seemed the people were moving? 6. What does Lina give away? 7. What are the guards doing with the people? 8. What could this mean for Lina? Chapter Why does Mrs. Arvydas want so badly to not get separated from Andrius? 2. Why did Mother try to wipe off her lipstick? 3. What made their group decide not to try to escape?

4 Chapter What were the purchasers going to do with the people? 2. Why is Andrius surprised his mother has made it this far? 3. What do you think qualifies someone to be on the list? 4. In her flashback, why was Papa upset with Lina? Chapter Why did the Lithuanians not stage an uprising even though they outnumbered the Soviets? 2. Why does Lina think that the soldiers are not talking of home and family? 3. Where are they going when they get out? Chapter What did the guards do while the women prepared for the showers? 2. Why was Mother upset Lina let out a sigh of disgust? Chapter Why does Mother turn her attention to others instead of washing herself? 2. Why must they keep their home alive in their hearts? 3. How do they know they aren t going to be killed soon? 4. What is troubling Lina? 5. What happens to Ona? 6. Why did Andrius cover Jonas eyes? 7. What is Jonas worry? Chapter Where did they drive to? 2. Why did Andrius keep his head down and stay close to his mother? 3. What do they find out about the shacks they are going to live in? 4. What does the woman call them? 5. Feisty people make good workers. Do you agree with this quote? Explain your answer. 6. What is a kolkhoz? Chapter Describe where they now live. by the wall with no pillow and a worn coverlet. There are only two tiny windows. 2. Why do they have to leave the hut pretty much right after they get in? 3. Describe the tone of Lina s flashback. 4. Where does Lina go while Mother is inside? Chapter What did the commander want? wanted her to inform him of anyone misbehaving. 2. What did they ultimately want her to do? Chapter How do they get food? 2. Why are empty promises worse than an empty belly? 3. Why do you think Lina chose now to dream about going to art school? Chapter What do nyet, sveenya, and fasheest mean? 2. What was the commander doing as he scanned the lines? 3. What are Lina and her mother doing? 4. Why does Mother believe they are stuck digging with rusty shovels that have no handles?

5 5. Why does Mother choose to persevere? 6. What does Mother mean when she says she has a contact? 7. Where else has the NKVD deported people from? Chapter Why did the guards make the women bend like dogs to drink water from the bucket? 2. Describe Lina s relationship with Joanna. 3. What type of meeting do you think the boys were going to? 4. Do you think they re digging their own grave? Explain. Chapter How do we know that drawing is very important to Lina? 2. Why does Mother want to prepare for winter? 3. What does Lina do to help herself dig with more vigor? 4. How long have they been digging? 5. How did Jonas collect water? 6. Why does Mother insist they drink more? 7. What type of work did Jonas do? 8. How do you know they were truly hungry? Chapter Why do you think Mother continues to help Mr. Stalas even though he is mean? 2. Do you think the bald man knew Lina s family before this all happened? 3. What horrifying thing does Mr. Stalas ask Lina? 4. Who does she see as she leaves the hut? 5. What is the blond guard s name? 6. What does Mother use one of her cigarettes as? 7. What is Lina s flashback foreshadowing? Chapter What does the NKVD demand that people do? 2. What do Marx, Engles, Lenin, and Stalin all share in common? 3. What does Josef Stalin mean? 4. Why does everyone turn toward Mother after the commander speaks? 5. Why were they brought there? 6. Why were they deported? 7. Who is the gray haired man? 8. Why does he think they won t be killed if they don t sign the papers? 9. What are they charged with? 10. Who is missing from the meeting? Chapter When were they released from the office? 2. What horrifying sight is outside the kolkhoz office? 3. What do the women have to do before they can have water? 4. Where does the commander fire his pistol? 5. What does the commander do after the shot? 6. What reason does Mother give for the commander doing these things? 7. Why do you think Kretzsky helped Lina climb out of the hole? Chapter Why don t Lina and Mother tell Jonas about what happened to them during work today? 2. Why does Lina hide her drawings? 3. Where did Mother really go when she left the shack? 4. Where did Andrius go? 5. Who is inside? 6. What does Lina conclude?

6 Chapter Why do you think Lina lashes out verbally at her mother? 2. Where do Lina and her mother now work? 3. Why does Lina refuse to take food to Mr. Stalas? 4. Why does the bald man say Stalin wants them to sign the papers? 5. Why are Andrius and his mother working in the NKVD building? 6. Why is Andrius upset with LIna s pettiness? Chapter What is Andrius trying to do? 2. What happened when Papa tried to talk to Mother? 3. Good men are often more practical than pretty. Explain this quote. Chapter What did the guard do to the man who ate the beet? 2. What would Lina do to get through the standoff in the kolkhoz office? 3. Do you think they should feel sorry someone who signed the document? Explain your answer. 4. When Mother saw someone was close to signing the documents, what would she do? 5. What was one benefit to signing the document? Chapter How did Mother pay the grouchy woman to send letters? 2. How did Hitler break his pact with Stalin? 3. Explain: We re dealing with two evils who both want to rule hell. Chapter Why did Kretzsky cone to the beet field? 2. Why does Lina think this would be a good opportunity for her? 3. Why do you think Kretzsky let go of Lina s arm once they were out of sight of the others? Chapter What does Lina have to draw? 2. What does Lina use to create the man s hair? 3. Who is watching Lina as she finishes? Chapter What does Lina see when she goes to apologize to Andrius? 2. Why does Andrius want Lina to leave? 3. Why does Lina end up drawing out of her frusrtration? 4. What did Mother bring back with her? 5. Explain how this collective farm is hell for the people living in it. Chapter What is the town near them named? 2. Why did Mother s spirit sore? 3. Who was allowed to go to the school? 4. What was Lina s new job? Chapter Who was the first to receive a letter? 2. Why did everyone gather to hear the letter read? 3. Who is the friend in Jonava? 4. Why was Lina stealing glances at Andrius? 5. What is the message in Psalm 102?

7 Chapter What happened a week later? 2. What color does everyone s skin appear? 3. Describe what Jonas looks like? 4. Why did Lina hold a snow covered cloth to Jonas forehead? 5. What disease does Jonas have? 6. What did Andrius bring to feed Jonas? Chapter Why do you think Lina is finally able to apologize to Andrius? 2. What are you able to lose yourself in? Chapter How long was Jonas severely sick? 2. What is Kucios? 3. Why do you think Mrs. Rimas cried at the traditional Christmas blessing? 4. Why doesn t Andrius go inside when people share tradition? 5. Why do you think Lina says no one wanted to trade places w/her (Mrs. Arvydas)? Chapter How did they was their hair? 2. Why was there an empty place setting? 3. What did the Arvydas send for the feast? 4. What does Mr. Stalas reveal? 5. Why do you think Kretzsky stared at the photographs? Chapter Why does Mother give items to Ulyushka? 2. What does Lina give Andrius? Chapter Why does Andrius come to Lina? 2. Why are they coming for her? 3. How does Lina view the commander? Chapter Describe what you think Lina s emotions are when she has to draw the commander. 2. Explain the quote: Paint as you see it. How do people view things and situations differently? 3. What is Lina to receive for her portrait? 4. What does Lina steal? Chapter What other food did they get? 2. What else did the officers throw at them? Chapter What does Lina need Andrius help for? 2. Where is Papa? Chapter What was in the can that was thrown at Lina s head? 2. What does Lina send word to Papa on? Chapter 58

8 1. How old is Lina? 2. Why did Lina think Mother and Jonas forgot her birthday? 3. What present did they have for her? 4. What does Andrius give Lina? Chapter Who was sent the letter with information on Papa? 2. Why did Lina tell Mother what she knew about Papa? 3. Why do you think Andrius would meet Lina in the ration line? 4. What word does Andrius want Lina to learn? Chapter What has made Andrius apprehensive? 2. What important information does he tell Lina? 3. Why does Mrs. Grybas say she ll sign the papers? Chapter Where does Andrius think they are being transferred? 2. What did the word in the file mean? 3. Why does Lina give Andrius her drawings? Chapter What surprise happened when the guards came to collect them? 2. How long had they been at the farm? 3. Why do you think Lina cried? 4. Why does Andrius tell Lina to picture him bringing her the drawings? 5. What did Lina find in her pocket? Chapter How is the scene at the train station different from the last time? 2. What is their plan to decrease the amount of people in their car from the last time? 3. What does the little girl say happened to her doll and how it happened? 4. What is the little girl s name? 5. What information do they know about the war? 6. How long ago did this happen? Chapter Why did Mother make Jonas get off his sleeping plank? 2. What does Liale tell Janina? 3. How did Ulyushka keep them alive on the train? Chapter What happened to Mother when she got off the train? 2. How do you think Mother knows Kretzsky s first name? 3. Why does Jonas think the NKVD is feeding them? Chapter How long did they wait for the boats? 2. Predict: What do you think their strength will be needed for? 3. Why do you think the Estonian woman would give Lina paper? 4. What is Mother insinuating when she says they don t know Kretzsky? Chapter What does Lina choose to protect?

9 2. What direction are they traveling? Chapter What is Kretzsky upset about? 2. What month is it? 3. Where do they end up docking (general)? Chapter What is Stalin s plan? 2. What is the polar night? 3. What does Janina s mother do? Chapter What did Lina draw while the others were sleeping? 2. What is a jurta? 3. What are they allowed to eat? 4. Why must they hurry to finish their hut? Chapter What exciting news does Janina bring? 2. Who do they think is on the ship? 3. What are the guards doing to the people? Chapter What are they going to use as a stove? 2. Why does Jonas think something is wrong with Mother? 3. What do Jonas and Lina determine about Mother s ration? 4. What day is it? Chapter How does the gray landscape tie into the title of the book? 2. What was the structural problem with one of the jurtas? 3. Why were the Vilkas deported? Chapter Why were they trying to protect her uncle? 2. Why didn t Joanna tell Lina what was going on? Chapter What does Lina see? 2. Why did Mother find out? 3. Why do you think Kretzsky says he hates himself? Chapter Why does Lina think she has failed? 2. Why does Mother insist on doing her part even though she is ill? 3. What does Lina discover in Dombey and Son? Chapter What color does frostbite turn your skin? 2. What did they tie around their feet for warmth? 3. Who was their only source of medical care? Chapter 78

10 1. What does Lina note about Mother? 2. Who does Mother expect Lina to apologize to? 3. What did Nikolai do for Mother? 4. Why was Nikolai sent with them to the North Pole? Chapter Who does it seem are the only healthy people in the jurta? 2. How did Lina and Jonas keep Mother warm? Chapter How does Lina comfort Mother? 2. What does the man who winds his watch say about Mother? 3. Why does Jonas want them to take Mother s body away? 4. What did Papa say happens to someone s spirit when they die? 5. Why does the bald man want to die? Chapter What is the only think Lina never questioned? 2. Do you think it was selfish that she wanted to live? Explain your answer. 3. What did Lina find in Mother s suitcase? 4. What was still in Mother s coat? Chapter What did Lina use to paint a map to the gravesite? 2. The eternal grayness in camp became a shade darker. Explain this quote. 3. What does the bald man say is keeping him from killing himself? 4. What does krasivaya mean? 5. Why do you think Kretzsky hates himself? 6. What surprising thing does Lina do? Chapter Why do you think the sound of Kretzsky crying physically pained Lina? 2. Why do you think Lina and Jonas have practically taken over care of Janina? 3. Why is Lina now taking charge? Chapter What did they hear outside the jurta? 2. What does the man ask? 3. What does the man say to give them for scurvy? 4. Why do you think the bald man agreed to help even though he never has before? 5. What happened to the man who wound his watch? 6. How did this man who is helping them find the camp? 7. What hope does he give Lina? Chapter What was Lina s recurring dream? 2. What does Lina see that gives her hope? Epilogue 1. What does the man find? 2. What was inside? 3. How long was Lina imprisoned? 4. Explain the quote: Evil will rule until good men or women choose to act.

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