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. The narrator states that Sinan was "endowed with" his parents' "best quality," (76) which was what?

2. Haroun told many people he was going to have how many sons?

3. Who gave birth to the baby mentioned in the chapter entitled "Five Minutes"?

4. What name did Leila use when referring to Binnaz?

5. The first memory that comes to Leila's mind in the first minute after her death has to do with what substance?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the circumstances of the sexual abuse Leila endured throughout her childhood?

2. How did Haroun's increasing religious fervor cause changes in Leila's life during her adolescence?

3. In what way is the theme of courage depicted within the chapter entitled "Three Minutes"?

4. What was the setting of Leila's birth?

5. In what way did Uncle engage in the use of grooming techniques with Leila's parents in order to prevent his sexual abuse of Leila from being detected?

6. How is the structure of the novel explained within the chapter in Part One entitled "One Minute"?

7. How did Jameelah come to feel so alienated by her family that she began to spend more time on the streets?

8. What major conflict did Jameelah have with her family after the death of her mother?

9. What does the braided bracelet symbolize in the chapter entitled "Seven Minutes"?

10. What does the narrator reveal about the reason for Leila's reluctance to talk about her past in the chapter entitled "Three Minutes"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Read a lengthy interview with Shafak. Write an essay explaining the connection between several of Shafak’s answers and a major theme presented within the text of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Shafak’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.

Essay Topic 3

Explicate the theme of hope within 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. What is Shafak’s message regarding hope and how do you know?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,326 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample