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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 beverage does Ranyinudo offer to Ifelemu when she first comes over to her apartment in Chapter 44?

2. Where does Boubacar work as a professor?

3. What colors does Ranyinudo describe the wedding as having been that she just attended in Chapter 44?

4. Where does Ifemelu first reconnect with Blaine in Chapter 34?

5. What does Blaine do in reaction to the library guard who has been falsely arrested in Chapter 38?

Short Essay Questions

1. What history do Obinze and Emenike have? What connects these characters?

2. What is foreshadowed through Obinze's and Ifemelu's correspondence in Chapter 42?

3. What connection does Ifemelu reach with Aisha in Chapter 41? What does this foreshadow?

4. What does the bookstore symbolize in Chapter 27?

5. Why does the author employ flashbacks in Chapter 31? How do flashbacks enhance the reader's experience?

6. What is symbolized by Ifemely's invitation for Dike to visit her in Nigeria?

7. Why does Ifemelu argue with the Haitian woman in Chapter 31?

8. Discuss the theme of identity as it applies to Dike. How does Dike perceive his identity?

9. How are the concepts of race and class in England and America compared in the narrative?

10. What issues does Shan describe with her editor and the publication of her book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the backdrop of the Obama Presidential campaign in the narrative. How does the campaign influence Ifemelu’s thoughts on race in America? How does the campaign affect Ifemelu’s relationship with Blaine? What does the Obama Presidency signify for the characters in the story?

Essay Topic 2

What leads to Ifemelu’s dissatisfaction at working for the magazine Zoe in Lagos? Who are Ifemelu’s coworkers and employer? How does she relate to these characters? What does Ifemelu do after leaving her position?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the motif of accents or dialects in the novel. What do dialects symbolize to the Nigerians in the narrative? How is dialect perceived differently in America than in England? What are the correlations between class, race, and dialect?

(see the answer keys)

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