Who is referred to as the 'Hopeless Case'?

• A. Bruno
• B. Maria
• C. Gretel
• D. Pavel

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how a label like “Hopeless Case” reveals a character’s mindset and what that shows about the world of the story. Gretel, Bruno’s sister, is depicted as the one most influenced by Nazi propaganda and least willing to see beyond the ideology she’s taught. When the story uses that label, it highlights her stubborn belief in the regime and her difficulty in understanding Bruno’s empathy for the other boy behind the fence. She dismisses or mocks what Bruno sees with kindness, making her seem unreformable in that moment. This contrast with Bruno’s curiosity and with others who try to help or understand—the compassionate Maria, the weary but dignified Pavel—helps underline the danger of letting prejudice close off humanity.