Resistance

Over the course of the book, Chaya grows increasingly comfortable responding violently to the Nazis. Trace this trajectory using textual evidence. How does she reconcile her actions with her personal morality?

Compare and contrast Chaya’s and Esther’s parents’ respective responses to losing a child.

The Allies tout the Warsaw Ghetto fighters as “heroes” in their BBC address. Do you agree with this assertion? Which acts of resistance detailed in the book strike you as heroic, and why?

Examine the role of faith and religion within the resistance movement, with particular reference to the maintenance of tradition and culture in the face of persecution.

Why is the act of hoisting the Polish and Jewish flags inside the Warsaw Ghetto a particularly significant one? What does the sight of these flags symbolize to those inside and outside the ghettos?

Comment on the use of stealth and deception as one of the ways in which the resistance responds to Nazi oppression.

Compare and contrast Chaya and Esther. How do they complement each other and contribute to each other’s growth over the course of the book?

Why does Chaya call Esther’s and her father’s decisions “choiceless choices”? In the context of this, comment on the OD and the Judenrat—their motivations, as well as the role they play in the larger scheme of things—by drawing on examples from the book.