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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 what year did Ruhollah Khomeini return to rule Iran after the Shah was deposed?

2. What color were Montazemolmolk's eyes, according to Kimiâ?

3. Kimiâ says that contrary to everyone's expectations, she ended up accomplishing what goal?

4. What is NOT listed as one of the activities in which Kimiâ had been engaging when she was chastised by a family member in Side A: Chapter 10?

5. What malady did Kimiâ pretend to have on the night Ramin was stopped by the curfew patrol several times?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what purpose does Djavadi weave the music motif into the footnote for the title page of Side B?

2. What does Khomeini mean when he says publicly that "The pens must be broken" (210)?

3. How is the theme of isolation depicted within Side A: Chapter 8?

4. What transformation does Mina undergo as a result of the family's relocation to France and why is it ironic?

5. Characterize the relationship between Kimiâ and her father Darius during Kimiâ's childhood.

6. What connection does Kimiâ point out between her experiences with fever in childhood and her experiences with drugs and alcohol in adulthood?

7. What two traits does Kimiâ lack, both of which are deemed desirable traits within her family?

8. In Chapter 8, Kimiâ admits the lack of evidence she has to back up her story, saying, "I have no proof to show you. None. Not even a birth certificate. You'll just have to take my word for it" (160). What does she mean?

9. What clues does Djavadi provide that suggest dangerous conditions for the Sadr family, even after they reach France?

10. What does Kimiâ's blue and white striped tee shirt symbolize within the narrative?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the topic of family treated within Disoriental and how does its treatment relate to the novel's depicted messages?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the ways in which the themes of adaptability and resignation appear within Djavadi’s novel Disoriental. What message is Djavadi sending about these two themes over the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Write a critical essay about Disoriental while using the critical power theory lens of feminist theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the novel's treatment of gender roles, the objectification of women, female empowerment, misogyny's role within society, or any other issues related to feminist theory that can be found in the novel.

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