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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. In Chapter XVII, who does Alfa briefly fantasize about visiting revenge on for what happened to his mother?

2. What does Alfa put on the trunk where he keeps the severed hands to keep people out of it?

3. What does Alfa think about the owner of the fourth hand that he kills?

4. Who does Alfa think are the truly brave?

5. What does Captain Armand tell the traitorous soldiers they can have if they put themselves over the top of the trench to be killed by the enemy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Alfa think his fellow soldiers think of his intellect?

2. Why does Alfa suspect his father lets him be adopted by another family?

3. What does Alfa come to believe about God's role in what happens in war in Part III?

4. What does Alfa bring to the hospital with him, and why?

5. Why does Alfa think Mademoiselle Francois likes him?

6. What is the first thing Alfa draws for the doctor?

7. What does Alfa do to make sure no one finds his severed hands?

8. How were Mademba and Alfa different?

9. What does Alfa think the war has done to him, as he explains in Part III?

10. Why does Alfa suspect his father did not let him go with Penndo Ba when she left?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the barriers that would realistically prevent Alfa from ever being able to be with Fary Thiam for the long-term? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How and why does Alfa feel Doctor Francois's attitude shift towards him in the aftermath of his own drawing of the severed hands? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Alfa begin to work through the horrors of his trauma from the war, and to what extent does he seem to successfully manage to address some of his deep psychological damage from the war at the hospital? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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