View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The author describes in Chapter 3, Part VII being most impressed with the masterful handling of what in In the Castle of My Skin?

2. Who wrote In the Castle of My Skin?

3. In what language was Hekaya Za Abunuwasi written?

4. In what language did Fumo Liyongo write?

5. During what years was Gakaara wa Wanjaũ detained in prison?

Short Essay Questions

1. What two factors have adversely affected the African novel and its development?

2. What does the author mean when he refers to Afro-European literature?

3. What is the basic demand in the statement presented by the author, Owuor Anyumba, and Taban Lo Liyong at the University of Nairobi?

4. What does the author say about critical reception of literature in Chapter 3, Part IX?

5. How does the author define "fiction language"?

6. When did the great Nairobi Literature Debate begin? How did it begin?

7. How did the author go about obtaining the basic necessities for writing while in prison?

8. Who attended the conference "The Teaching of African Literature in Kenyan Schools"?

9. What does the author remark about Faust in Chapter 3, Part VIII?

10. What criticisms does the author make of Cry, the Beloved Country?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What relationship between the peasantry and the languages of Africa does the author describe in the book? How is the peasant's relationship to his native tongue different than that of the petty-bourgeoisie? How does language change as a result of this relationship?

Essay Topic 2

What is referred to by the term mental domination in the context of the book? How is language used in mental domination? Why is mental domination necessary in order to achieve economic and political domination over a people?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the relationships between human experience, culture, and perceptions of reality. What role does language play as a means of communication and as a carrier of culture? What are the different subcategories of language as a means of communication and as a carrier of culture? How are culture and communication related to one another?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 738 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample