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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What strategy does the lawyer intend to use in Absalom’s case?
(a) He intends to center the argument around the testimony of the beaten house servant.
(b) He plans to hire false witnesses to claim they saw one of the other defendants fire the gun.
(c) He believes the truth of Absalom’s testimony and will center the case on it.
(d) He believes there is no way to win because Absalom has already confessed and is sure to hang.

2. Which of the following is NOT something Kumalo and his wife were saving money for?
(a) A stove.
(b) New clothes.
(c) To send their son to school.
(d) A vacation.

3. How do Kumalo and Msimangu travel to Alexandra?
(a) They walk eleven miles.
(b) They accept a ride from a white man.
(c) They take a bus.
(d) They take a taxi.

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

5. What major family news did John fail to reveal to his family back in Ndotsheni?
(a) He never told them he was terminally ill.
(b) He never told them he divorced his wife.
(c) He never told them he had given his daughter up for adoption.
(d) He never told them his son was in jail.

6. Msimangu ministers to a community of people who suffer from which of the following?
(a) They cannot walk.
(b) They have leprosy.
(c) They are mentally handicapped.
(d) They are blind.

7. What does the author indicate is the primary emotion that motivates how whites interact with blacks?
(a) resentment.
(b) Pity.
(c) Fear.
(d) Compassion.

8. Which of the following does the black woman NOT lament?
(a) That she cannot send her children to better schools.
(b) That she has to take in boarders to feed her family.
(c) That she and her husband ever left their small village.
(d) That she does not have enough money to buy her way higher on the housing waiting list.

9. What does Kumalo harshly criticize his son for doing before the crime was committed?
(a) He criticizes him for getting a young girl pregnant.
(b) He criticizes him for keeping company with “friends” he knew were not trustworthy.
(c) He criticizes him for failing to find Gertrude like he was supposed to.
(d) He criticizes him for leaving the village in the first place.

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

11. Which of the following best describes the theme of Msimangu’s preaching?
(a) He urges his followers to stand up for their rights by any means necessary.
(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 accept their role as inferior to whites.

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

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

14. What tragedy does the black woman suffer?
(a) Her child dies because she cannot access a doctor.
(b) She is forced to give her child to relatives to care for.
(c) Her child is disfigured when their house burns down.
(d) She miscarries an unborn child.

15. Which word(s) best describes John’s feelings toward tribal chiefs and the Church?
(a) Contempt.
(b) Absolute reverence.
(c) A philosophical respect.
(d) Amusement.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What is John Kumalo’s profession?

3. After meeting with Absalom’s girl, how does Kumalo feel about the prospects for the future?

4. Which character shows the most disgust toward the Absalom’s girl’s behavior?

5. What has become of Kumalo’s sister since she arrived in the city?

(see the answer keys)

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