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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. Which character is angriest that Absalom has disappeared?
2. Which powerful black leader does the anonymous black woman seek for housing help in Chapter 9?
3. Who organizes this protest and asks Kumalo and Msimangu personally to participate?
4. What is Gertrude’s main emotion when Kumalo discovers how she is living?
5. Which character encourages Kumalo to pray and look for things to be grateful for rather than to wallow in self-pity?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Msimangu apologize to Kumalo after they have met the pregnant girl?
2. Explain why the lawyer, Mr. Carmichael, takes Absalom’s case without payment.
3. What unofficial title do most members of Ndotsheni bestow on Kumalo’s wife, and what does it signify?
4. Briefly discuss all the places Kumalo and Msimangu visit in their search for Absalom.
5. What feelings do Stephen Kumalo and his wife have before they open the letter they receive at the beginning of the book? Why do they feel this way?
6. What surprises Kumalo about the behavior of many whites regarding the bus boycott?
7. Describe Kumalo’s initial physical reaction when the white reformatory worker comes to apologize. Why does Kumalo behave this way? What effect does it have on the white reformer?
8. What happens to Kumalo as soon as he arrives in Johannesburg? How does this reinforce his feelings about the city?
9. Describe some ways John Kumalo has changed since he moved to Johannesburg from Ndotsheni.
10. Describe the white reformatory worker’s reaction to the news that Absalom killed Arthur Jarvis, and why he reacts this way.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Compare and contrast all the different generational relationships in the novel: James and Arthur Jarvis, John Harrison, Sr. and Jr., Kumalo and Absalom, Gertrude, and Napoleon. Can any broad conclusions be made about the older and younger generations? Why or why not? Based on the representation of the younger generation, is the outlook for South Africa’s future optimistic or pessimistic? Be sure to support your argument with examples from the text.
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the author's use of irony in Cry, the Beloved Country. What are specific examples of irony from the text? What type of irony is being used? How does this example further the plot of the narrative?
Essay Topic 3
Who or what serves as the antagonist in Cry, the Beloved Country? What are examples of ways that this antagonist acts as an obstacle to the protagonist's objectives? What symbolism and themes are connected with this antagonist?
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This section contains 1,021 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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