Grade 8 English Name:_________________________
Friedrich, by Hans Peter
Richter
Home Study Questions
You
must answer FIVE questions from Group One, and FIVE questions from Group Two. Pick the five questions in each group for
which you can write the best and most interesting answer.
Each answer must be
complete—at least an 5-8 sentence paragraph, or more. Do only your best.
What if I don’t understand a
word when I read?
§
Ignore it! Keep reading and
you’ll probably figure it out.
§
Look it up in a dictionary, if it still doesn’t make sense. Then try to learn the new word.
Read the chronology on pages
139-149 of the book! It might help.
GROUP ONE QUESTIONS (Each question is about a
single chapter in the book.)
Answer FIVE
of these 16 questions:
·
Setting the Scene
(1925)—Herr Resch treats other people as subordinates (people who are below
him). Do you know anyone like Herr
Resch? Describe and explain that
person. Compare him or her to Herr
Resch in this chapter. Why do some
people act like that?
·
Potato Pancakes
(1929)—Do you remember the first time you met someone who later became your
friend? Describe that relationship, and
how it started, and compare it to Friedrich and the narrator’s experiences in
this chapter.
· Snow (1929)—Compare Friedrich’s relationship with his mother to your own relationship with your own mother (or the mother-child relationship of someone you know). Also, tell what you felt when you read the end of this chapter.
·
Grandfather
(1930)—Describe the grandfather in this chapter, and the effect he has on the
family, and why he has that effect. Do
you have a relative like him?
·
Friday Evening
(1930)—The narrator, who is not Jewish, is slowly discovering new things about
what it means to be Jewish. How much do
you know about religions outside your own?
Compare your knowledge of other religions to the narrator’s.
· School Begins (1931)—This chapter explores another difference between the two families. Do you have friends whose families are quite a bit richer—or poorer—than yours? Compare that experience to the experience of the families at the amusement park in this chapter.
·
The Way To School
(1933)—Now the anti-Jewish acts in the book are becoming very public. Is there anything in today’s world—in the
year 2000—that is like the hateful spray paint and racist protesting in this
chapter? Describe some things some
people are prejudiced about today, and compare to the things in this chapter.
·
The Jungvolk (1933)—Why is the
narrator silent during the meeting? Why
is Friedrich himself silent and listening so hard? Why don’t they leave? Or
protest?
·
The Ball (1933)—Have you ever
been accused unfairly of something you didn’t do? Describe your experience and compare it to what happens in this
chapter.
·
Conversation on
the Stairs (1933)—Describe Herr Resch, the landlord—both his
personality as you see it in this chapter and the book so far, and describe him
physically.
·
Herr Schneider
(1933)—Have you ever seen a grown man cry?
Write about that experience, and compare it to what happens in this
chapter.
·
The Hearing
(1933)—Describe the judge’s reason for giving the Schneiders the victory in
this chapter. Also, what do the last
sentences of the chapter mean?
·
In the Department
Store (1933)—What is happening to the narrator and his family? More importantly, why is it happening? What is Herr Schneider’s reaction?
·
The Teacher
(1934)—Have you ever had a favorite teacher that you liked and admired? Describe that teacher, and compare to the
teacher in this chapter.
·
The Cleaning Lady
(1935)—Describe Frau Penk’s personality.
Is she a coward? Is she
strong? Is she mean? Is she nice? Explain your answers.
·
Reasons (1936)—Which is better:
to run away from the situation, as the narrator’s father says? Or to stay, “learning to suffer,” as Herr Schneider
says? Explain your answer.
· In The Swimming Pool (1938)—What’s different about the reaction of the pool attendant compared to other anti-Jewish feelings expressed by different people so far in the book? What is something especially bad about his attitude?
·
The Festival
(1938)—In this chapter, the narrator learns about another Jewish custom. This is one of the longest chapters in the
book. Why do you think the author
spends so much time on it? What does it
add to the story?
·
The Encounter
(1938)—What is “the encounter”?
Describe it.
·
The Pogrom
(1938)—(If you don’t know the meaning of the word “pogrom,” it is one word you
should look up in the dictionary. Or
ask someone who might know to tell you.)
Have you ever felt pleasure in doing something violent? Describe that time, and compare it to what
happens to the narrator in this chapter.
·
The Death (1938)—Describe
everything you can think of that has caused—or that may have helped to
cause—the death in this chapter.
·
Lamps (1939)—Describe how the
lamps could be a symbol: a) what could a lamp represent? b) what could fixing up lamps and making
them work again represent?
·
The Cinema
(1940)—Think of at least 5 reasons the Nazis wouldn’t want Jews to go to
movies. List the reasons. (Unfortunately, you will have to think like
a terrible, stupid racist to answer this question, but you should be able to
think of five.)
·
Benches (1940)—Helga, a minor character
in the book, is in many ways a heroic character. She risks her safety—perhaps her life—to be kind to someone
else. Do you think you would risk jail,
punishment, and maybe punishment, in her situation? What would you risk for a friend?
·
The Rabbi (1941)—What choice would
you make in the narrator’s situation?
Explain.
·
Stars (1941)—How is Friedrich
like Solomon? (One way was revealed on
page 84.) What is the lesson of the
tragic story the Rabbi tells?
·
A Visit (1941)—What is happening
to Herr Schneider? What do his last
words mean?
·
Vultures (1941)—Herr Resch has
been called a “pig” and a “vulture”. You
describe him, and his actions in this chapter.
·
The Picture
(1942)—What is the time in your life when you’ve been most afraid? What is the time in your life when you’ve
been most brave? Relate your
experiences to what happens in this chapter.
·
In the Shelter
(1942)—Every person in the air raid shelter makes a choice when Friedrich
knocks on the door. What is Herr
Resch’s choice? What is the sergeant’s
choice? What is everyone else’s choice?
·
The End (1942)—Describe your
feelings as you read the end of the novel.