Study guidelines and questions, “Berlin” by Eilis Ni Dhuibhne

1.    Name the tenses; explain their use and literary effect.

2.    Find inter-textuality. Pay attention to different frames and timelines.

3.    What historical events does the short story refer to?

4.    Find inter-textuality with mythology and folklore.

5.    What do you know about the fairy-tale Hansel and Gretelby the brothers Grimm?

6.    What are, in your opinion, the implications of a single story being written and re-written in more than 10 languages?

7.    What is the role of the author who the narrator calls a shameless borrower?

8.    How do you understand the ending?

9.    Would you have written a different ending yourself?

10.  What is an open ending in a story?