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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 do the women of The Mountain Committee contribute?

2. Why does Potgieter give gifts to Jezile?

3. How long does Jezile work for the road crew?

4. What will most likely happen to Jezile as result of her murdering a man?

5. How do Jezile and the others get home from prison?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the young women in Jezile's village like?

2. What are Jezile and MaBiyela's beliefs when it comes to Siyalo's imprisonment?

3. How does Jezile react to seeing S'naye's condition after she returns from prison?

4. Why does Jezile accept the job as the foreman's wife's servant?

5. Why does Jezile feel sad when she looks at S'naye's frilly dress?

6. Why do the soldiers bring the charred bodies of Counselor Duma's family out to the hillside?

7. Why does Jezile feel uncomfortable around the white foreman?

8. Describe Lungu.

9. Describe Siyalo's job after he is released from prison.

10. How do Jezile and the other women feel when they are first released from prison?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Food is continually scarce for Jezile and her family. Cows often become ill or crops die. This leaves Jezile little choice as to how to provide food for her family. Write an essay that explores the role food plays within the context of the story. Why is food important to Jezile? What are some of the ways she and the people of her community endure food shortages? Which food items are the easiest to grow and most prevalent? What does Jezile do when her cows become ill? How does she remedy the problem of having no milk at times? Be sure the provide examples to support your work.

Essay Topic 2

Jezile has a few friends which she relies on for companionship and support. One of these friends is a woman named Zenzile who dies early on in the story. Write an essay that explores the theme of friendship within the context of the narrative. Who are Jezile's closest friends? What do these women do for a living? Do they have families? Why are friends important to Jezile? In which cases does she rely on them for help and support? Explain your rationale by providing examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Writing style is very important with fiction, and And They Didn't Die is no exception. Write an essay that explores the writing style of Lauretta Ngcobo. Address various writing elements such as perspective, sentence structure, diction, and grammar in your work. Explain how these things contribute to the flow of the narrative. Be sure the provide examples to support your work.

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