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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Stephen Kumalo receive a letter from in the opening pages of the novel?
(a) Msimangu.
(b) Gertrude.
(c) Absalom.
(d) John.

2. How long does it take to erect Shanty Town?
(a) One night.
(b) One year.
(c) One week.
(d) One month.

3. Who tells Kumalo that Absalom is responsible for the murder?
(a) John Kumalo.
(b) The reformatory worker.
(c) Gertrude.
(d) Father Vincent.

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

5. 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 leaving the village in the first place.
(c) He criticizes him for failing to find Gertrude like he was supposed to.
(d) He criticizes him for keeping company with “friends” he knew were not trustworthy.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the taxi driver who is friends with Absalom?

2. In Chapter 12, which of the following is NOT a suggestion among whites on how to deal with "native crime”?

3. What strategy does the lawyer intend to use in Absalom’s case?

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

5. Which character is angriest that Absalom has disappeared?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the irony of the death of Arthur Jarvis at the hands of a black person.

2. What does Kumalo tell Father Vincent worries or saddens him about the way Absalom is handling his arrest?

3. What unofficial title do most members of Ndotsheni bestow on Kumalo’s wife, and what does it signify?

4. Describe three excuses Absalom gives to his father for why he killed Arthur Jarvis.

5. What surprises Kumalo about the behavior of many whites regarding the bus boycott?

6. Briefly discuss John’s hypocritical attitude towards both the church and tribal chiefs.

7. What additional errand does a friend of Kumalo’s ask him to run while he is in the city? How does this reflect the themes of the novel?

8. How does Gertrude react to seeing Kumalo in Johannesburg? How does she feel about her own behavior, and the prospect of returning to Ndotsheni?

9. Briefly describe the life of the woman who is the protagonist of Chapter 9, living in Orlando’s Shanty Town.

10. Why does Msimangu apologize to Kumalo after they have met the pregnant girl?

(see the answer keys)

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