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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 Aisha do to the police car in Part II?

2. How do many of Michael's neighbors treat the family?

3. How does Michael's brother describe memory?

4. Where do Aisha and Michael often go to talk and be together?

5. What is Michael's mother's name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What often happens to Francis at night that unsettles Michael?

2. What kind of student was Francis and what happens in his schooling years?

3. What structure do Michael and Francis climb together in the very beginning of the novel?

4. Why does Michael have a particular and new kind of understanding with Aisha in Part II?

5. What is the most significant source of tension between Francis and his mother?

6. What does Ruth do on Francis's birthday years after he dies?

7. What kind of reputation does Francis have in the neighborhood regarding sex and love?

8. What space in the neighborhood is a refuge for Michael and Francis when they are young boys, and why?

9. What does Aisha do to the police car in Part II, and how does Michael react?

10. Why does Aisha want to plan a get-together, and what is Michael's reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Aisha's and Michael's relationship change as a result of Aisha's father's, Samuel, death? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Despite all of the tragedy and sadness in this story, Chariandy closes the novel on a somewhat hopeful note, with Michael and Ruth surrounded by kind, caring neighbors and friends. Write an essay analyzing Chariandy's choice to finish the novel this way.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay discussing Francis's and Michael's early experiences of racism in Canadian society.

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