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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 did Bessie create in Botswana?

2. Bessie says that she grew up knowing only whom?

3. What does Bessie call Southern Africa?

4. What happened to Snowball?

5. Bessie described her friend, Snowball, as perfectly black except for his what?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Woman From America," what was the biggest threat that this woman and her husband posed to the village?

2. In "preface to Witchcraft," why is Bessie angry with South Africa?

3. Why was Bessie given up for adoption?

4. How did Bessie react when she was forbidden to visit her adoptive family on school holidays?

5. In "Village People," how does Bessie describe poverty in Africa?

6. What facts about her parentage were brutally told to Bessie by the magistrate and the missionary?

7. How does Bessie describe Botswana in 1964?

8. What more compassionate details concerning her mother did Bessie learn over time?

9. What did Bessie think of the mission orphanage that she was sent to at age 13?

10. In 1966, what changes were made regarding refugees in Botswana?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bessie thinks that friendship is very important in South Africa. What kind of country is South Africa, according to her? What do you find yourself doing if you have friends? What are you left alone to face if your friends flee the country? What do friends allow you to do that Bessie feels is essential to not becoming passive? Describe the good friend that Bessie had in South Africa and what effect his fleeing the country had on her.

Essay Topic 2

Bessie's friend, Snowball, had a difficult time living in District Six in Capetown. What was Snowball's general demeanor? Even though he was devoutly religious, what did he believe could live together in chaotic happiness? How was Snowball treated by the landlady and most of the community? Could they see beyond the fact that he had once been a professional thief and served jail time? Was this fair to him? What kind of humbling lesson did Snowball teach Bessie? What did she learn about herself and her attitude toward religion? Why did Bessie finally give up trying to protect Snowball? Do you think that Snowball left a lasting impression on Bessie?

Essay Topic 3

In "An unspeakable crime", Bessie expresses her disdain of the Coloured Affairs Department. What are they doing in Port Elizabeth and Capetown that she disagrees with? Describe the actions of the coloureds, whom she feels are accessories to the crime. Are they ashamed of their actions? Should they be? Do you think that they truly don't know their own minds and think that the Coloured Affairs Department knows what's best for their children? Or, do they see the situation for what it is and go along with it because it's the only way to survive?

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