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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the FIRST place Kumalo and Msimangu visit to track down Absalom?
(a) They visit Mrs. Ndlela’s house.
(b) They visit a reformatory.
(c) They visit the Shanty Town in Orlando.
(d) They visit a factory where Absalom worked.

2. What is the primary emotional reaction of everyone Kumalo asks about Absalom?
(a) They all seem fond of Absalom.
(b) They all seem disgusted with Absalom.
(c) They all seem afraid of Absalom.
(d) They all seem proud of Absalom.

3. After meeting with Absalom’s girl, how does Kumalo feel about the prospects for the future?
(a) He feels pessimistic.
(b) He feels completely optimistic.
(c) He feels a little bit of weight lifted from his shoulders.
(d) He feels exactly the same.

4. Which of the following is NOT something the white reformatory worker tells Kumalo about Absalom’s recent experiences?
(a) Absalom got a girl pregnant.
(b) Absalom was holding a steady job at a factory.
(c) Absalom rose to head boy at the reformatory.
(d) Absalom had decided to become a reverend like his father.

5. Why does Kumalo go to see his brother before visiting Absalom in jail?
(a) Because John is Absalom’s godfather and will want to visit Absalom as well.
(b) Because John’s rousing oratory has been implicated in the justification for murder.
(c) Because John is a powerful man and might be able to help Absalom get bail.
(d) Because John’s own son was an accomplice in the murder.

6. What is Kumalo’s connection to the murdered man?
(a) His father owns a farm near Kumalo’s village.
(b) The man worked at the reformatory where Absalom was held.
(c) Kumalo’s mother was a cook for the man’s family.
(d) The man visited Ndotsheni to lecture on agricultural reform.

7. What is John Kumalo’s profession?
(a) He is a liquor bootlegger.
(b) He is a preacher.
(c) He is a mine worker.
(d) He is a carpenter.

8. What neighborhood did the murdered white man live in?
(a) Springs.
(b) Alexandra.
(c) Parkwold.
(d) Carisbrooke.

9. How many “husbands” did Absalom’s girl have before Absalom?
(a) Two.
(b) Eight.
(c) Four.
(d) Six.

10. What is the phrase used to describe why the lawyer takes the case without payment?
(a) Pro deo.
(b) Carpe diem.
(c) Habeas corpus.
(d) E. pluribus unum.

11. What city does the writer of the letter live in?
(a) Durban.
(b) Pretoria.
(c) Cape Town.
(d) Johannesburg.

12. Which of the following best describes John’s relationship with his own son?
(a) Since John’s son got married, they rarely see each other.
(b) They are estranged because John’s son is friends with criminals.
(c) They are close and John’s son still lives with John.
(d) John has fully disinherited his son in order to give more to his younger children.

13. What was the murdered man most well-known for?
(a) He was a rising local politician.
(b) He spoke and wrote publicly for equal rights for blacks.
(c) He advocated for a separate nation for blacks.
(d) He had married a black woman.

14. Which character encourages Kumalo to pray and look for things to be grateful for rather than to wallow in self-pity?
(a) Msimangu.
(b) Mr. Carmichael.
(c) Father Vincent.
(d) Mrs. Lithebe.

15. Which of the following reactions are black leaders NOT hoping to elicit from whites with the decrepit conditions of Shanty Town?
(a) Shock.
(b) Anger.
(c) Pity.
(d) A need for immediate action.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Absalom’s girl react when Kumalo tells her she will have to leave Johannesburg if she marries Absalom?

2. Which powerful black leader does the anonymous black woman seek for housing help in Chapter 9?

3. What does Kumalo do with Gertrude and her son after she has apologized for her sinful ways?

4. What country does Father Vincent come from?

5. What is the name of the lawyer who agrees to represent Absalom?

(see the answer keys)

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