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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 wealth-making industry has drawn so many young men to the city?

2. Why does Kumalo humbly accept this apology rather than expressing his true feelings about the unnecessary anger directed at him?

3. Which of the following best describes John’s relationship with his own son?

4. What is the name of the woman who rents a room to Kumalo?

5. Why does Kumalo go to see his brother before visiting Absalom in jail?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why is Kumalo upset that John Kumalo decides to get a lawyer to defend his own son in the trial about the murder?

4. Describe the reaction of the pregnant girl to the prospect of living in Ndotsheni. Why does she react this way?

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

6. 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?

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

8. How does the first chapter describe the land of the Umzimkulu valley? How does this reflect on the state of the people who live there?

9. Why does the government like Msimangu as a preacher? How is he like John Kumalo in his oratory?

10. Explain how Kumalo and his wife a.) mainly intended to use their savings; b.) how they have to use it now; and c.) why this shift does not ultimately matter.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is the protagonist of the novel and why? Would you have preferred the novel be told from another character’s perspective? Who and why? Make a strong argument for your protagonist, and support your argument with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the historical context of Cry, the Beloved Country. When was this novel written? What real-life experiences influenced the author in this work? How does the novel reflect upon the political and social atmosphere of South Africa?

Essay Topic 3

Give examples of literary, religious, or pop-cultural allusions in Cry, the Beloved Country and discuss the importance of each. What is the root of this allusion? How does the work cited connect with the plot/characters/themes in Cry, the Beloved Country?

(see the answer keys)

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