117 pages • 3 hours read
Alan GratzProjekt 1065
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Michael wonders, in a time of war, “How did you decide who to sacrifice and who to save?” (86). Does Michael ever reach a definitive answer to his question, and if so, what is his response? Why is Michael’s question so difficult to answer, and so important to the novel’s narrative?
Michael develops two important friendships throughout the novel: one with the British pilot Simon, and another with his fellow student Fritz. Compare and contrast these friendships. How do these relationships influence Michael’s character development throughout the novel?
The author incorporates real historical incidents throughout the novel, such as Kristallnacht, the drafting of 17-year-old Germans, and dialogue from Hitler’s actual speeches. Discuss how these historical elements influence the plot, themes, and characterization of the novel.
Michael’s Da questions Michael’s involvement in the family’s spy mission, while his Ma supports Michael’s efforts to help. How do their contrasting attitudes reflect larger themes in the novel? How do their viewpoints develop and change as the novel continues?
Michael sees Nazi Germany as a “bully” (53). How do the Nazis act as bullies throughout the novel, and in what other ways is the motif of bullying used in the novel?
Early on in the novel, Michael sees spying as a “game” (36). What causes his attitude to change throughout the novel? At what point does Michael see his spying activities as “real,” and how does his shifting perspective reflect his character development as a whole?
Throughout the novel, several characters emphasize the value of books, even as Nazis order the burning of books that don’t fit their ideology. What do books represent for the Nazis, and for those fighting on the side of the Allies? How does Michael’s attitude toward books change as the novel progresses?
Michael’s phobia of heights plays an important role in the novel. How might the novel have been different if Michael didn’t struggle with this fear? Why do you think Gratz chose to give his main character such a major weakness?
Michael believes the Nazis were able to grow so powerful because Germans are afraid to speak up for what they know is right. How does the German people’s fear manifest throughout the novel? How does fear allow a regime like the Nazis’ to gain and maintain power over the people?
In an Author’s Note, Gratz states that Nazi Germany “sacrificed an entire generation of young people” (307). How is this sacrifice illustrated throughout the novel? What message does the author send about the role of children in wartime?
Related Titles
By Alan Gratz
