View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How many children does Marija plan to have?

2. How is the road paved?

3. What does Sissie tell Marija is not sound?

4. What does Sissie refer to as a spy system?

5. According to Sissie, what do African students need to travel?

Short Essay Questions

1. What meat does Marija plan to cook for Sissie on the day she is scheduled to depart?

2. Where does Sissie stay in London?

3. What is the name of the relative of Sissie's West African friend whom she meets?

4. According to a poem in Part 2: "The Plums," what shape are the women that men marry?

5. For how long has Kunle lived in Africa?

6. What does Part 2: "The Plums" say about love?

7. To which cities in Germany does Sissie plan to travel after he stay in Bavaria?

8. What does Part 2: "The Plums" say about education?

9. What does the German-born American professor tell Sissie that Germany, Ireland, and Africa have in common?

10. Who tells Sissie that going out late is against the rules?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the foreign language terms, including any racial slurs, used within the novel. In your essay, consider why the author might use foreign languages within the text, and whether foreign languages are used to a similar effect or different effects in various sections. In your essay, cite specific examples of terms used in making your argument.

Essay Topic 2

The story is told from Sissie's perspective. Write an essay in which you evaluate the author's decision on relating the story from Sissie's perspective, and whether another character's perspective would have been equally compelling.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze how the stereotypical African family unit (especially the African mother) is portrayed within the novel. Of whose mother does the reader see glimpses in the narration? What are this woman's family's circumstances? Use evidence from the text to support your observations.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 493 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample