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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. Whom does Odili ask the journalist about?

2. What detail about one man's robes in Chapter 6 most catches Odili's attention?

3. How does the cook prove his innocence?

4. Who calls while Jean and Odili are making love?

5. What is Chief Nanga's previous occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Odili describe the way Jean acts toward Chief Nanga?

2. Why is Odili's next-door neighbor in college called "Irre"?

3. What two admirable qualities does Chief Nanga demonstrate in Chapter 1, and how?

4. What series of events leads up to Odili's disillusionment with the POP.?

5. What attitudes do the foreigners at the dinner conversation seem to have toward Africa, and how do they demonstrate such?

6. How does Chief Nanga speak to Mr. Jalio, and for what reason?

7. What impression does Odili convey in his description of Chief Nanga's library?

8. Why is Odili's father hated?

9. What is significant about the languages spoken in the Nanga home?

10. How do Odili and Elsie meet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As the chief protagonist and narrator of the story, Odili undergoes dramatic changes throughout the narrative, but as he is the one describing them, he does not explicitly state them. Trace the outline of Odili's character development and changes, being sure to answer the following questions:

1) In what regard does Odili primarily change?

2) In what ways does Odili seem to change, but ONLY seem?

3) What other characters and events have the biggest influence on Odili's changes?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the character of Maxwell Kulamo. How does Odili portray him? Is Odili's portrayal of Maxwell fair or biased? What do Maxwell's actions reveal about his person? In what ways is Maxwell significant to the story?

Essay Topic 3

The major theme of "A Man of the People" is the struggle of man against political corruption. Which characters embody corruption? Which characters embody the struggle against corruption? In what ways do the struggling characters fail, and how do the exemplars of corruption ultimately falter?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 790 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample