They Went Left

In light of Lukasz’s trauma, can you condemn his dishonest decision to masquerade as Abek? Justify your answer using textual evidence.

How does Monica Hesse use landscapes, including the landscapes of characters’ bodies and the landscapes of Poland and Germany, as symbols that establish trauma and pain as ongoing, even after the conclusion of the war in 1945?

In the exposition, an old woman sweeps the stoop of a building that is completely destroyed. How does this function as a broader symbol of the difficulties faced by Europeans attempting to return to normalcy after the conclusion of the war?

The presence of Rudolf and Josef at the refugee camp Foehrenwald illustrates that, in many cases, victims were forced to coexist with their jailers and torturers. Do you believe that this arrangement is justifiable, given the strain of aid organizations at the conclusion of the war, or should a greater effort have been made to separate these groups? Justify your answer using textual evidence.

The contested nature of Israel’s nationhood continues to cause immense bloodshed and generational trauma. Does the experiences of characters like Breine and Chaim increase your empathy for the Zionist movement and the establishment of the state of Israel by the United Nations? Or has the pain and suffering of one group been inappropriately leveraged to justify the suffering and displacement of another group (Palestinians)?

Zofia’s relationship with Josef brings her joy and humanizes her; however, it also causes her significant distress and heartbreak when she learns of his true identity. Do you believe that Zofia’s relationship with Josef was ultimately reparative or damaging in terms of her recovery?

Zofia has not attended a wedding since the German occupation of Poland. Given this, how does Breine and Chaim’s wedding function as a symbol of Jewish resilience, which signals the failure of the German genocide?

Consider how the reader’s perception of the story would have changed had the point of view switched between Zofia and Lukasz. Do you think that maintaining Zofia’s point of view was the most effective choice in terms of maintaining mystery and tension around “Abek’s” identity, or do you believe that documenting Lukasz’s compunction and guilt might have increased the reader’s sympathy and understanding for this character positively?