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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is John’s main political agenda?
(a) He wants complete equal rights for blacks.
(b) He wants better wages for blacks working in the gold mines.
(c) He wants blacks to separate and form their own country.
(d) He wants blacks to have the right to vote.

2. What neighborhood of the city does Msimangu live in?
(a) Sophiatown.
(b) Orlando.
(c) Claremont.
(d) Alexandra.

3. What is the name of the village where Kumalo lives?
(a) Sophiatown.
(b) Ndotsheni.
(c) Carisbrooke.
(d) Umzimkulu.

4. Who apologizes to Kumalo for behaving badly towards him and refusing to help him get a lawyer for Absalom?
(a) His brother John.
(b) Father Vincent.
(c) The reformatory worker.
(d) Msimangu.

5. How does Absalom’s girl react when Kumalo tells her she will have to leave Johannesburg if she marries Absalom?
(a) She wants to put her baby up for adoption instead.
(b) She sulks and wishes to break off the engagement.
(c) She demands financial compensation for the inconvenience.
(d) She is pleased at the idea of a quiet, rural life.

6. How many accomplices did Absalom have in the murder?
(a) Two.
(b) Four.
(c) Three.
(d) One.

7. What is the reformatory worker’s main concern about Absalom’s involvement in the murder?
(a) He is afraid that Absalom will be executed without trial.
(b) He is anxious that the reformatory’s reputation not be tarnished.
(c) He is devastated that a leader in the equal rights movement has been killed.
(d) He is irritated that he has been fired from his job.

8. What title of respect do most people address Kumalo with?
(a) Umlungu.
(b) Amakhosi.
(c) Umfundisi.
(d) Sawubona baba.

9. What does Absalom’s former landlady in Alexandra reveal about Absalom’s behavior?
(a) She saw Absalom with prostitutes.
(b) She saw Absalom with stolen property.
(c) She saw Absalom beating someone.
(d) She saw Absalom publicly intoxicated.

10. Which of the following best describes the theme of Msimangu’s preaching?
(a) He urges his followers to accept their role as inferior to whites.
(b) He urges his followers to practice passive protest for justice.
(c) He urges his followers to rely on God to relieve their suffering.
(d) He urges his followers to stand up for their rights by any means necessary.

11. What year does the novel take place?
(a) 1936.
(b) 1966.
(c) 1956.
(d) 1946.

12. What does Kumalo do with Gertrude and her son after she has apologized for her sinful ways?
(a) He uses his resources with Msimangu to get Gertrude a legitimate job.
(b) He moves them into the boarding house where he is staying.
(c) He immediately sends them back to Ndotsheni.
(d) He gives Gertrude money to sustain her until they can return to the village.

13. What neighborhood is Gertrude living in?
(a) Orlando.
(b) Alexandra.
(c) Claremont.
(d) Sophiatown.

14. What was the motive for Absalom and his accomplices to break into the Jarvis house?
(a) They were involved in a grudge match with one of Jarvis’ servants.
(b) They wanted to steal goods to sell.
(c) They were going to kidnap one of Jarvis’ children and hold it for ransom.
(d) They sought retribution for being fired from the Jarvis household.

15. Who promises to help Kumalo find his sister and his son?
(a) Msimangu.
(b) Mrs. Lithebe.
(c) His brother John.
(d) Dubula.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does the letter at the beginning of the novel claim is sick?

2. What hardship did Absalom’s girl suffer as a child?

3. Where does the white reformatory worker say Absalom currently lives?

4. What city does the writer of the letter live in?

5. Which of the following is NOT an excuse Absalom gives for shooting Jarvis?

(see the answer keys)

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