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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. What type of shop does Mugo visit in "Chapter 8"?

2. What event cheers up the independence ceremony in "Chapter 14"?

3. What made Karanja confess his love to Mumbi when they were teenagers?

4. Why does Mugo feel he should have been left alone after Robson's death?

5. What does Mugo do after Gikonyo leaves his house in "Chapter 8"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens after Karanja learns that Thompson is leaving?

2. What is the independence celebration like?

3. How does Mr. Thompson feel at his going away party?

4. In "Chapter 10," how does Karanja describe losing his job as chief?

5. What happens when Mumbi meets with Mugo in "Chapter 13"?

6. What happens when Gikonyo meets Karanja on the street in "Chapter 7"?

7. What happens to Gikonyo the day he is released from the concentration camp?

8. How does Mumbi explain to Mugo about her affair with Karanja?

9. In "Chapter 9," what does Mugo say about the speech he has been asked to give?

10. What does Mugo say happened when he turned in Kihika?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the author's use of flashback in this novel. Several characters have flashbacks to the beginning of the Emergency and of the Movement. How does this device work? Is it effective or ineffective? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the romantic relationships in "A Grain of Wheat." How are they influenced by politics?

Essay Topic 3

How is Mugo a hero?

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