The Nazi Hunters

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Despite the numerous obstacles and difficulties in locating Eichmann, multiple political actors persisted in the face of adversity.

• In the opinion of the Israeli and Jewish authorities, why was it necessary to capture Adolf Eichmann? (topic sentence)
• Why was it necessary to have Eichmann put on trial in Israel, instead of Germany? Explain your reasoning with supporting details from the text.
• How does the necessity and location of the Eichmann trial link to the theme of Justice for the Victims of the Holocaust?

2. After finally locating Eichmann’s whereabouts, the operative team were surprised at the perpetrator’s appearance.

• Why did Israeli security and intelligence professionals struggle with the idea that Eichmann was living in such humble conditions? (topic sentence)
• What does this say about their expectations of Eichmann, and what does this say about Eichmann himself? Explain your reasoning with supporting details from the text.
• How does Eichmann’s transformation speak to the larger theme of The Malleability of Identity?

3. Throughout the account, Eichmann prided himself on his sense of duty to the Nazi German state.

• What was the exact task given to Eichmann by his superiors during WWII? (topic sentence)
• How did Eichmann understand its purpose, and what were his convictions toward that purpose? Explain your reasoning with supporting details from the text.
• What does the execution of Eichmann’s task say about his thoughts on the theme Legality Versus Morality?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Does Eichmann’s execution serve as proper justice for his crimes? Why or why not? If not, what outcome would have provided proper justice?

2. Consider the fact that the men chosen for the mission were volunteers. What are some occasions during the mission that illustrate some of the advantages and disadvantages of asking for volunteers in this scenario? How does the spirit of volunteerism support the end goal of this particular mission? Overall, did the fact that the operative used volunteers support or hinder the mission?

3. How do the members of Eichmann's family react following his execution? How do these individual reactions illustrate different ways of responding to history? Are their reactions a response to trauma? If so, how? Consider how each family member's reaction is a manifestation of their overall political beliefs.