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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 milestone birthday will Silas be celebrating in the year that the novel is set?

2. What does Lydia decide to give to Silas for his fiftieth birthday?

3. What is the nationality of the soldier that attacked Ali Ali's sister?

4. What special description is given about Vinu's father at the moment of his death?

5. In what country did Silas apply to be an ambassador?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Silas react to having Lydia back in their home to recover?

2. What measures has Lydia taken to ensure that she will be able to escape from her family and relocate in Cape Town?

3. What practice does Michael do before he attempts to kill Vinu's father?

4. What announcement does Julian make while out for lunch at "The Crucible" with his friends.

5. How does Mikey change in the month after his mother returns from the hospital?

6. How does Lydia's life change after she returns from the hospital?

7. How did Ouma Angel die?

8. How does Michael come into possession of the gun he will use to kill Vinu's father?

9. How does Silas react to Vinu being at Mam Agnes' anniversary party?

10. While planning Silas's birthday party, what worries overcome Kate's thoughts at the dinner table?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Perhaps Silas's biggest character flaw lies in his complete passivity in regard to his family. Give three clear examples of times when Silas acts passively when the circumstances ask more of him. What effect does Silas's passivity have on his family life? Finally, explain whether or not you believe Silas overcomes his passivity by the end of the novel, and why.

Essay Topic 2

The use of religion is carefully plotted out by Dangor as Mikey makes his transition from boyhood to manhood in the novel. There are two main religious icons used as symbols in the text: the Kaaba stone and the Imam. Briefly describe both the Kaaba stone and Imam, and explain how each of these religious symbols affected Mikey in his coming-of-age.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Silas's two work friends, Kate and Julian, have a large effect on the problems that happen in the Ali family. Briefly describe both Kate and Julian's characters as well as their relationships to Silas. Then, give one example for the ways each of these characters irrevocably change the relationships in the Ali family, leading toward their inevitable demise.

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