Midaq Alley Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Chapters 1-5

1. What change takes place in Kirsha's cafe in Chapter One and what does this change represent?

2. How had Sheikh Darwish become a homeless man of God?

3. Why do residents of the alley fear Umm Hamida?

4. What bad habits does Mrs. Afify have?

5. What relationship does the Kirsha family have to Hamida?

6. What does Hamida mean when she quotes the saying to her foster mother, "It's always the carpenter's door that's falling apart?"

7. What...
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