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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 Chris, which of the following describes Ikem?

2. What happens to Ikem on his way to the Palace in Chapter 3?

3. How do the members of the Abazonian delegation receive Ikem?

4. Who disapproves of Beatrice's being physically intimate with Chris while the two are not married?

5. Which best describes the Commissioners' attitude toward the President as shown throughout Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Interpret Chris's dying words, "the last green."

2. What is the subject of Ikem's editorial "Hymn to the Sun"? What point is he trying to make with it?

3. Explain the purpose of Mad Medico's graffiti.

4. According to Chris, why does Ikem resent him so much?

5. What is meant by the "Desdemona complex," and how does it apply to the President's behavior at the party?

6. Who calls Beatrice with an anonymous tip about Chris, and what is the apparent purpose of the calls?

7. What is Ikem's attitude toward women, according to Chris?

8. What meaning does Chris find in the inscription "What a man commits," which is painted on the back of the bus?

9. How does the National Gazette distort Ikem's words to make him seem guilty? What lies are told about his death?

10. Why does Ikem feel exhilarated after his meeting with the taxi drivers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The President, Sam, is not presented as a one-dimensional tyrant. Rather, he is a complex character with many positive and negative qualities. Write an essay exploring the development of this complex character.

1) What picture do we get of the President in Chapter 1? What are the negative traits of the President? What does Chris admit is a positive trait?

2) What insight do we gain about the President from his point of view in Chapter 2?

3) What is Sam like as a younger man, according to Mad Medico?

4) How, according to Ikem, does Sam change after coming to power? In what sense is he like an actor playing a part?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of hope for Africa's future expressed in the novel Anthills of the Savannah.

1) What is the significance of the name of Elewa's baby?

2) How is it significant that the baby was named by a group of people from different backgrounds, classes, and faiths--military, worker, academic, market-girl, Muslim, Christian, etc.?

Essay Topic 3

Anthills of the Savannah has something in common with a traditional tragedy, in which pride brings about the downfall of a tragic hero. Write an essay examining Ikem, Sam, and Chris as tragic heroes who bring about their own downfall.

1) What does each man do that shows he is prideful or obstinate?

2) At what point could any of the three men have acted differently or made better choices to avoid their ultimate downfall?

3) Reflect on the inscription "Ife onye metalu" or ("What a man commits...") which is painted on the bus Chris escapes on. What significance does Chris see in this quote?

4) Consider Chris's choice of nominating Okong, a man he knew to be unscrupulous, as a minister in Sam's government. To what extent does this implicate Chris in the injustice of Sam's rule?

(see the answer keys)

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