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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What causes a major change in Jean-Baptiste?
(a) His loss of one of his feet.
(b) His receipt of a perfumed letter.
(c) Seeing his best friend die.
(d) His backfiring of his rifle.

2. What is the Diop totem?
(a) A panther.
(b) A peacock.
(c) An alligator.
(d) An elephant.

3. What does Alfa do when a retreat is called, in the wake of Mademba's death?
(a) He retreats at once.
(b) He never retreats.
(c) He retreats only after praying.
(d) He retreats only after firing his gun many times.

4. What does the voice inside Alfa's head tell him as he stayed with Mademba when Mademba was dying?
(a) To respect his mother's wishes and only to kill enemy soldiers.
(b) To kill Mademba.
(c) Not to kill Mademba and play God.
(d) To run away and leave the war.

5. What does Alfa say that the mad fear?
(a) Only hell.
(b) Everything.
(c) Nothing.
(d) Only death.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Alfa's only real white friend among his fellow soldiers?

2. Which of the following phrases about God does Alfa repeat throughout Part I?

3. What does Alfa do to preserve the hands he severs?

4. How does Alfa repeatedly refer to Mademba Diop?

5. Who translates the words of Captain Armand for Alfa?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Alfa notice about Ibrahima Sack's translations for Captain Armand to Alfa in Part II?

2. What changes between Alfa and the rest of the soldiers after Jean-Baptiste's death?

3. What does Alfa suspect about Sack's translation to him from Captain Armand?

4. Why does Jean-Baptiste decide to goad the enemy into killing him?

5. What phrase does Alfa Ndiaye begin repeating immediately in Part I?

6. What does Alfa say he becomes when he goes out to seek the vengeance on German's for Mademba's death?

7. Why does Alfa not want to reveal where he is hiding the severed hands of the Germans to Captain Armand?

8. Why does Alfa receive the Croix de Guerre, a medal of honor?

9. Why does Alfa think the mad are useful on the battlefield?

10. What was the purpose of the joking relationship between Alfa and Mademba?

(see the answer keys)

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