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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 is the name of the town in which the Jarvises reside?
2. Where does Kumalo put his energy immediately upon returning from Johannesburg?
3. Which of the following is NOT a reason the Judge gives for not giving Absalom leniency?
4. How many black miners die during their short-lived strike?
5. How do the Jarvises travel to Johannesburg?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe Barbara Smith’s response to Kumalo’s question about her servant, and explain the significance of James’ translation of this answer to Kumalo.
2. Describe the villagers’ reaction to Kumalo’s return to Ndotsheni, from the time he gets off the train until he reaches the church.
3. How does James Jarvis react when Kumalo tries to thank him for all the good work he is doing in Ndotsheni? Why does he likely react this way?
4. What happens to Gertrude at a church meeting at Msimangu’s mission? What does she do afterward?
5. What becomes Kumalo’s obsession when he returns to Ndotsheni, and what ways does he act on it? What are the results of his efforts?
6. Summarize the main events of the meeting between James Jarvis and Kumalo at the house of Jarvis’ kinswoman Barbara Smith.
7. Briefly summarize Arthur Jarvis’s argument about the responsibility of whites to blacks in the papers James Jarvis reads.
8. Compare Arthur Jarvis’ son’s attitude toward Kumalo and by extension blacks, to the attitude of the generations above him.
9. Describe how Kumalo reacts when the Bishop tells him he wants to remove Kumalo from Ndotsheni.
10. In Book Two, Chapter Five, who does the author make ultimately responsible for South African law, Judges or white South Africans, and why?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What do the gold mines symbolize in Cry, the Beloved Country. To what theme do the gold mines most relate? How are the gold mines perceived by the wealthy white elite? How are they perceived by the oppressed blacks?
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the theme of intention in Cry, the Beloved Country. In this novel, the narrator points out when characters act cruelly despite opposite intentions. What are examples of miscommunicated intentions in the novel and how do they impact the plot?
Essay Topic 3
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.
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This section contains 1,286 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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