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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What kept Dany from making his presence known when he saw the dew breaker?
(a) The threat of retaliation from the man’s family.
(b) The dread of having murder on his conscience.
(c) The logistics of getting away with murder.
(d) The fear of killing the wrong person.

2. What does Aline say she learned was useful in her education?
(a) The long history of injustices and violence in the Americas.
(b) The injustice of a psychology experiment.
(c) The similarity of cultures’ stories.
(d) The beauty of the written word.

3. Why does Estina call for Claude to meet Dany?
(a) So they can speak English together.
(b) So Claude can learn English.
(c) So Claude can have a brother-figure.
(d) So Dany can translate for Claude.

4. How does Beatrice indicate the residents of the houses on her block?
(a) By political loyalty.
(b) By skin color and language.
(c) By nationality and profession.
(d) By where they came from in Haiti.

5. Where is Michel telling the story of this time in Haiti?
(a) On the bus talking with a stranger.
(b) Driving home with his son.
(c) In bed with his pregnant wife.
(d) In prison with other men.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old is Denise Auguste?

2. What does Mariselle say President Kennedy’s widow Jacky Kennedy did to sadness?

3. How old does Michel say he feels, in the story he is telling?

4. How does Beatrice think the prison guard keeps finding her?

5. Who does Michel say was “orphaned” by the dictator’s departure (140)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of insight does Aline give us into the authorial labor of writing the novel in which Aline herself appears?

2. Under what conditions did Freda’s father disappear?

3. What does Aline find when she investigates the house Beatrice called the Haitian prison guard’s house?

4. Who is Michel’s father, and who is Romain’s?

5. Who is the main character of the "The Funeral Singer" chapter, and where is it set?

6. Who is the main character of the "Monkey Tails" chapter, and where is it set?

7. What does Beatrice say is the secret to her coffee?

8. What news is the main character of "Night Talkers" bringing with him?

9. What is the action that takes place at Monsieur Christophe’s water station during the rioting?

10. What is the significance of the song Brother Timonie?

(see the answer keys)

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