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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. Why is Nhamo sitting in a fig tree at the beginning of the book?

2. What is a nganga?

3. What is Nhamo's mother's name?

4. What was wrong with Masvita after the cholera epidemic?

5. What starts while Nhamo is fighting against the current?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Nhamo while she is fighting against the current, and what does this mean to her?

2. What happens when the baboons on the island see Nhamo?

3. What is the story that Nhamo tells herself while waiting for her boat to be repaired?

4. What does the muvuki determine will be done to make payment for the dead man?

5. What happens when Nhamo procrastinates checking her animal traps?

6. What happens when Nhamo's food rations run out?

7. What does Nhamo dream about after she sees the electric light?

8. What does Grandmother reveal about Nhamo's father at the trading post?

9. What kinds of things occupy Nhamo's time when she is first settling on the island?

10. What does Nhamo do in the forest when she is supposed to be collecting firewood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are many characters in this book who are manipulated and persuaded to do things they do not want to do. What are some of these instances, and how are these characters affected by the manipulation?

Essay Topic 2

Human nature is a strong symbol and theme in this book. Where does this symbol appear, and what role does it play in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Persistence is a major attribute possessed by some of the main characters. Which characters have this trait, and how does it affect their role in the plot?

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