Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Between 1939 and 1945, global powers fought in World War II (WWII). Consider what you have already learned about WWII. Which countries were a part of the Allies? Which countries did the Allies fight? What was the outcome of the war?

Teaching Suggestion: This general short answer prompt encourages students to reflect on their prior knowledge of WWII. Before reading the novel, students should understand the following: WWII was fought between the Allied Powers (France, Soviet Union, U.K., and U.S.), and the Axis Principal Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). Although both the Allies and the Axis Powers were primarily Western countries, WWII was more global because of the involvement of other colonies and the battles that took place in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific Ocean. WWII ended in 1945 after two major victories for the Allies: 1) Hitler’s suicide and Germany’s eventual surrender to the Allied Powers in April; 2) the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, leading to Japan’s surrender in August. Although D-Day was in 1944, many scholars consider it a turning point for the Allies.