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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. Who helped Zahra decide to join the Moroccan resistance movement?

2. Where does Zahra return to in Chapter 1?

3. What does the reader learn in Chapter 1 about Zahra's family?

4. How did Zahra's husband express interest to Zahra that he wanted to marry her?

5. Who did Zahra avoid on her wedding day?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Zahra decide to make a living and who taught her this skill?

2. Describe Abou Zayd's childhood and how it affected her writing.

3. What did Zahra's parents do for a living and why was it dangerous?

4. Why does Faqih dislike the French?

5. Who is the local "faqih" and how does he help Zahra in Chapter 1?

6. What was Zahra's experience at Al-Adir?

7. What did Zahra describe as an oasis and desert and why?

8. What happened in Morocco when it gained independence?

9. What imagery does the author use in Chapter 1?

10. Why might Abou Zayd have written "Year of the Elephant" in Arabic?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Abu Zayd address the theme of independence in his "Year of the Elephant"? Choose two examples of examples of this theme and explain how these examples contribute to the message of the story.

Essay Topic 2

Define the term flashback. How does Abu Zayd use flashbacks in her book? Provide two examples of flashbacks and how they provide the reader with important information about a central character.

Essay Topic 3

Define the literary term conflict. How does conflict appear in literature? Choose two stories in Abu Zayd's collection and explain the conflict or conflicts in each story.

(see the answer keys)

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