Everything is Illuminated Study Guide

1. In what city do Alex and his family live?

• Minsk, Belarus.
• Odessa, Ukraine.
• Kiev, Ukraine.
• Lvov, Ukraine.

2. Why is Alex chosen to be Jonathan's translator?

• His father is too ill to go himself.
• He wants to see what a Jew looks like.
• He did well in English at his university.
• He has no other talents.

3. Why does Trachim B crash his wagon into the Brod River?

• He is fleeing an unfavorable arranged marriage.
• He wants to fake his own death and run away.
• We do not find out for sure.
• The only sure fact is that it was an accident.

4. What separates the Jewish Quarter from the Human Three Quarters?

• The Jewish Quarter is where the Upright Synagogue is located.
• The Human Three Quarters is where Trachim B's wagon crashes.
• The Jewish Quarter is for sacred activities, and the Human Three Quarters is for secular activities.
• The Jewish Quarter is for secular activities, and the Human Three Quarters is for sacred activities.

5. Why can't the women see the newborn girl, Jonathan's great-great-great-great-great-grandmother?

• The baby is afraid of women and responds only to men.
• She is diseased from being in the river.
• The men are afraid the women will try to claim the baby as their own.
• The women are not allowed inside the synagogue.

6. How do the Slouchers get their name?

• They live in slouching houses.
• They never stand upright, in or out of synagogue.
• The Uprighters name them out of disgust.
• They give up the tradition of dangling in favor of reclining.

7. Why doesn't Alex recognize some of the names Jonathan uses in his story?

• They are names specific to Jonathan's family
• They are made-up names.
• They are Yiddish names.
• They are American names.

8. How does Alex feel about writing chapters for Jonathan's novel?

• He resents Jonathan for asking a favor of him.
• He agrees to write only if he is paid.
• He agrees to write in exchange for a ticket to America.
• He feels so honored, he says he would even do it for free.

9. Why has Grandfather's depression become worse since Jonathan's trip?

• He has learned about the Holocaust and finds it deeply upsetting.
• He misses his wife even more.
• Now that he has met an American, he despairs of his own life in Ukraine.
• He is upset that they did not find Augustine.

10. Why does Father punch Alex?

• He insults Mother.
• He refuses to be Jonathan's guide.
• He lies to Father.
• He says he wants to move to America.