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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. According to Bessie, the South Africans have been living in exclusive compartments for so long that they are what?

2. In "The woman from America," what state in America is the woman from?

3. What is the basic landscape of Botswana?

4. What was Bessie's biggest frustration in "An Unspeakable Crime"?

5. In Bessie's opinion, South African refugees are generally, what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bessie describe Botswana in 1964?

2. What lasting effect did the treatment by the missionaries have on Bessie?

3. Why was Bessie given up for adoption?

4. How does Bessie describe the Botswana flag to students during the independence celebration?

5. What are Bessie's beliefs about racists?

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

7. In "A Gentle People," what are Bessie's feelings regarding the black people of Cape Town?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The artist, Gladys Mgudlandlu, was extremely popular in South Africa because of her escapism theory. Why does Bessie refer to her as "the exuberant innocent"? Does she think of her and her escapism theory as naïve? Does she see it as not wanting to deal with real issues? Do you think Bessie thought it was wrong of her to encourage the black South Africans to just "sit back and let God deal with it"? Was this just offering them a good excuse to do nothing about their situation? If there was no oppression, do you think that this artist would have been as popular?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Atteridgeville in 1964 was a community full of poverty and desolation. What was the main reason for unemployment here? How far did people have to go just to work? Because of the high rate of unemployment, how were many of the young men looked upon? How did illegitimate births fit into this scenario? Why weren't young people getting married? What agency owned almost everything in Atteridgeville? Do you think that the young men of this town stood a chance of bettering themselves professionally or personally?

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