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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 did Okenwa's parents put in his room, which made his "stay feel transient" (3)?

2. What does Okenwa believe his mother would have said 15 years earlier if told outlandish stories?

3. What do Okenwa's parents complain of during one visit in November?

4. What do the narrator's parents tell him a sick neighbor from their hometown vomited once?

5. Why did Okenwa's paternal grandparents dislike Okenwa's mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Okenwa's mother say had happened during a visit in Okenwa? Who did they know who was involved?

2. What questions do Okenwa's parents often ask him when he visits?

3. What was Okenwa passionate about, which he did not share with his parents? Who does he meet who shared this passion?

4. Why does Okenwa's mother think he would not remember Raphael?

5. What has changed about Okenwa's parents since retirement?

6. What are some of the "incredible stories" Okenwa's parents tell him on his visits?

7. How did Okenwa feel about going to the staff club to play badminton with his parents?

8. What were Okenwa's parent's evenings at home like when Okenwa was young?

9. How did Okenwa feel about reading compared to his parents?

10. What is the narrator doing at the start of "Apollo"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Away from the main character examine the way the author uses the other characters in the story. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss elements of the narrative structure: Exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the narrative structure express the story's themes?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay examining the symbolic significance of Raphael's room in "Apollo." Even after Okenwa and Raphael begin to spend time together, Okenwa never enters Raphael's room until he is sick. Analyze the scenes Okenwa spends in Raphael's room. What is the context? How does the setting of this room develop the narrative and themes?

(see the answer keys)

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