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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When does Odili plan to see Edna again after his embarrassing accident?

2. Which two men ask Chief Nanga for a copy of his speech?

3. With whom does Odili, in his letter, say Edna can satisfy herself with if Chief Nanga is unable?

4. To what room in Chief Nanga's house are Elsie's bags taken?

5. Where do Chief Nanga, Odili and Hezekiah meet?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the confusion about why Couple is put in jail?

2. What is the general tone of Mrs. Nanga in her first conversation with Odili's while in Anata, and why is that the tone?

3. How does Odili initially interpret Chief Nanga's order to move Elsie's bags into his absent wife's room?

4. What sort of reception does Odili's political campaign receive in Anata?

5. Why is Couple's heckling of Maxwell effective?

6. In Chapter 10, how does Chief Nanga further expose his corruption regarding the office of Foreign Trade?

7. What is significant about Odili and Edna's bicycle crash?

8. How does Odili interpret Edna's letter?

9. What sort of abuses of power does Chief Nanga exercise in his campaign?

10. How does Odili react to discovering that Elsie is sleeping with Chief Nanga?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A subtle theme in "A Man of the People" is the disparity in sexual equality throughout Nigerian society. How are women portrayed as less important throughout the story? How is this status quo challenged? What female character embodies resignation to this standard, and what character challenges it? How is this shown in the story?

Essay Topic 2

As the chief protagonist and narrator of the story, Odili undergoes dramatic changes throughout the narrative, but as he is the one describing them, he does not explicitly state them. Trace the outline of Odili's character development and changes, being sure to answer the following questions:

1) In what regard does Odili primarily change?

2) In what ways does Odili seem to change, but ONLY seem?

3) What other characters and events have the biggest influence on Odili's changes?

Essay Topic 3

What start as separate, if related, threads in the story -- revenge, politics and love -- become entangled in Odili's life. Discuss the entanglement of these various threads and explain how an action toward any one goal ends up affecting the others.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample