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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 many years did Bessie live in South Africa?

2. How did the British refer to Botswana in the early 1800's?

3. In "African religions," Bessie states that African religion doesn't receive value because they don't have what?

4. Why did Bessie say the South African experience so difficult for her to deal with in a creative sense?

5. In "God and the underdog," why does Bessie say the Klansmen make God a white man with blue eyes?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 2, what does Bessie think that the spirit of the Nigra Goddess has done for the blacks in America?

2. How does Bessie describe the world that a black South African is born into?

3. What was Bessie's life like during the two years that she lived in the refugee community in northern Botswana?

4. In "African Religions," what, does Bessie state is the main difference between Asian and African religious ideals?

5. Why was it so difficult for Bessie to deal with South Africa creatively?

6. In "Social and Political Pressures . . . ," what astonished Bessie about the book "One Hundred Years of Solitude"?

7. In what ways did emancipation slowly make it's way to Botswana?

8. How are Bessie and the American woman different?

9. In "A Note on Rain Clouds," what does Bessie state is thwarting young, idealistic, black men and their ideals?

10. In "God and The Underdog," what does Bessie feel fuels revolutions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Conflict is the main theme of "A Woman Alone". Do you think that there was just as much internal conflict in the book as external? Do you believe that external conflicts are a direct result of individual internal conflicts? Explain Bessie's internal conflict regarding her avoidance of all things revolutionary and liberatory. Was she always proud of this? Did it sometimes create problems with others? Do you think that Bessie avoided these issues because she didn't think that they were effective or because she knew that she couldn't deal with them mentally?

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

Khama the Great had a great impact on the history of Botswana. What was his most important accomplishment? Why was he so different? What did he possess that made even the British, stand in awe of him? In a nation of downtrodden people how did he manage to have such strength? How did he retain this and not fall into the doom and despair mind-set of his countrymen? Why did the British give him rights that no black man had ever gotten? Were they not used to seeing integrity and strength in a black man? Do you think that they were afraid of him? What would have been the result for Botswana had he not existed?

(see the answer keys)

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