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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. How does Odili initially plan on getting his revenge?

2. What animals, after leaving the Odo house, ruin Odili's plan involving Edna?

3. How much is the bribe Chief Nanga offers Odili?

4. With whom does the PAP reveal that the Minister of Foreign Trade has been illegitimately making a profit?

5. What does Chief Nanga predict that Nigeria will soon produce?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Odili react to discovering that Elsie is sleeping with Chief Nanga?

2. What characterizes Odili's interaction with Chief Nanga at the Samalu house?

3. Describe the first impression given of Odo, Edna's father.

4. What sort of reception does Odili's political campaign receive in Anata?

5. Describe the situation with Chief Nanga and the editor of the Daily Matchet, including its significance.

6. What is the confusion about why Couple is put in jail?

7. How does Odili interpret Edna's letter?

8. Why do Boniface and the other bodyguards want 25 pounds, and why does Odili object?

9. What is the significance of the poem Maxwell wrote seven years ago?

10. What sort of abuses of power does Chief Nanga exercise in his campaign?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

As part of the political corruption in the story, there is a strong irony in some of the governmental appointments. For example, Chief Nanga is the Minister of Culture and yet does not even know one of the country's most famous authors, nor can he remember the title of his song. Are there any other ironic governmental appointments in the story? What does this reveal about the manner of ministerial appointment in the country? What does this irony help accomplish in the plot of the story?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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