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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. In the repeated chorus in the scene from Ngaahika Ndeenda that is presented in the text, the lyrics state that problems can be settled in what?

2. For how long was Gakaara wa Wanjaũ imprisoned for his writings in Gĩkũyũ?

3. When did Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o begin writing in Gĩkũyũ?

4. About how many children did Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o's father have?

5. In what book of the author's did he narrate the fate of the production of Maitũ Njugĩra?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Ituĩka ceremony. What was its purpose and how often did it take place?

2. What literary convention does the author describe in Chapter 1, Part II? Who attended?

3. What significant event in 1884 determined the fate of the future of Africa?

4. What was Chinua Achebe's stance on language?

5. What does the author describe as the effects of one's written language being separated from one's environmental language?

6. What does the author mean when he refers to the domination of the mental universe of the colonized?

7. How does the author describe the significance of land in Kenya?

8. Who is David Diop and what was his perspective on language?

9. How did the literature of Africa change during the upheaval between imperialism and liberty?

10. What role did song and dance have in the original production of Ngaahika Ndeenda?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the oral storytelling traditions of Kenya. What were the subjects of these stories? How were they related and who was the audience? What happened to these oral traditions when colonization came to dominate the continent?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the basic plot and themes in Caitaani Mũtharabainĩ. Who are the main characters in the novel? What subjects does the novel explore? Why did the author choose to write this novel in his native tongue?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the establishment of the Kamĩrĩĩthũ Community Education and Cultural Centre. What was the mission of this institution? Why was this location chosen for the center? How is the physicality of the center described?

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