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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. Bessie states that one day all nations shall dwell under what shadow?

2. Josef Herman, the artist who lived through the Nazi invasion of Poland, fled to what country?

3. In "Despite broken bondage . . .," what does Bessie say the emancipation of women in Botswana was rooted in?

4. Which of Bessie's novels is the only one that truly reflects a black South African viewpoint?

5. In Chapter 2, what does Bessie say is the root of traditional African life?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In the conclusion of Chapter 2, how does Bessie summarize her life experiences?

3. Why was Bessie able to write in Botswana rather than South Africa?

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

5. Why according to Bessie has Botswana survived by "sheer luck and unexpected good fortune"?

6. How is Bessie's hatred of the white man lessened in Chapter 2?

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

8. Why does Bessie think of the American woman as some sort of goddess?

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

10. In "African Religions," what does Bessie state is at the root of religion in Africa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oppression stunted and almost obliterated Bessie's creativity. And yet, the musician, Makeba, seemed to revel in it. Why do you think it would affect two people so differently? Is it a question of passion? Does it create more passion for some and less for others? Do you think that Makeba's passion for liberation fueled her in a creative sense? Did she use the situation to her own advantage? Did Bessie's avoidance of anything liberatory or revolutionary deny her this? Had she been more liberal, might she have been able to write?

Essay Topic 2

Bessie views African religion as "within oneself," with no need for institutions or communal worship. Does this seem to work well, for them? Why does Bessie think that this fits into their basic philosophy of life? Bessie states that this is the religion of any people who have never been wanted by the rest of mankind nor had the means or education to find God in a "posh place." Do you agree with this statement? Does a place of worship have to be posh? Is the fact of a community coming together more important than the structure that they worship in? Why, do you think, she assumes that all organized religions have elegant places of worship? Do you think she's right? Given the black South African's sense of being set apart from the rest of the world, do you think their type of "individual" worship only serves to emphasize their "aloneness"? Would a more group-based religion make them feel like part of something larger?

Essay Topic 3

The American woman filled Bessie's world when she arrived in Serowe. Describe her physical characteristics. What made her stand out in the village? What did Bessie come to see her as? If Bessie would have been a more religious person, do you think she would have attributed the "Nigra Goddess" characteristics to the American woman? Was this filling a void for her where religion might have been? Or, do you think that she truly saw God in this woman? The American woman could at times be harsh with Bessie. Was this fair to Bessie? Was there any way that the she could relate to the horrors that Bessie had experienced in her life? Do you think that she was harsh because she thought that Bessie was self-absorbed? Or, do you think that she was harsh because she was trying to encourage Bessie to close the door on the past and move forward by thinking of and helping others?

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