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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 does Alfa say Mademba Diop looked like?

2. Who carries Afla's mother in the canoe part of the way on her journey?

3. What does Alfa think the war has done to him in Chapter XIV?

4. Who was the chief of Alfa's old village?

5. How many "traitorous" soldiers die at Captain Armand's command?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How were Mademba and Alfa different?

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

5. How does Afla think he wins over Doctor Francois at the hospital?

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

7. Why does Penndo Ba leave Alfa's father?

8. Who takes Alfa in after his mother leaves and fails to return?

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

10. What is one convention of romantic relationships in Gandiol?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the apparent mystical merging of Alfa and Mademba in Alfa's body at the end of the novel relate to Diop's exploration of the theme of opposites that Diop focuses on throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Alfa describe his own belief in God and his own feelings about spirituality? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 564 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample