Critical Thinking/Discussion Questions – Herta Adler

1.  After the war, Herta never returned to live in Germany. What reasons might have compelled her not to return?

2.  Herta mentions that she temporarily had permission to stay in one particular school because her “father fought in World War I, unfortunately on the wrong side.” What does Herta mean by the “wrong side”?

3.  In 1933, Herta attended “a school which trained the future leaders of the German Reich.” She quickly determined that her time there “would be very limited.” Explain, using evidence from her story, why Herta was not a fit for this school environment.