Serraillier emphasizes the damage caused by the German Army’s Scorched Earth Policy, which was enacted to limit the ability of Polish and Russian forces to pursue them and retaliate. What impact does this policy continue to have after the conclusion of the war on local populations and refugees in Poland and Germany? Explain your answer using textual evidence.

What is the source of the antipathy between Jan and Edek? What does that antipathy reveal about each boy and their experiences during the war?

Throughout the novel, Jan finds comfort and companionship in animals. What do animals offer Jan that human beings cannot? What do animals symbolize in the novel, to Jan and in general?