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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. Some time after her epiphany, Amal decides once and for all that she is going to wear the hijab to McCleans when she returns to school after which type of break?

2. What adverb does Amal use to describe the look her parents give one another when she announces during dinner in Chapter 3 that she is going to wear the hijab?

3. At the end of Chapter 5, how many times within fajr does Amal pray that Ms. Walsh will allow her to wear the hijab at school?

4. Of the following, which character is on the list Amal makes of people she believes may be unsupportive of her decision to wear the hijab all the time?

5. When Simone and Amal travel home from school together in Chapter 8, Simone says that which character had accused Simone of spending more money on Big Macs per month than she did on a gym membership?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the "PHE" (96) and what does it signify?

2. How does Amal feel in Chapter 7 when her classmates break their silence about her hijab?

3. How does Amal describe her own identity?

4. Discuss an instance when Abdel-Fattah uses a simile to portray a character's emotions.

5. How does Amal characterize her first day of wearing the hijab to McCleans when she calls Leila at the end of the day?

6. What reasons does Amal provide for wanting to wear the hijab all the time when she makes one of her lists?

7. In what way does Simone demonstrate a growing confidence around Josh in Chapter 11?

8. What major step does Amal take in Chapter 14 and who gloats about their role in Amal's decision?

9. What do postcards symbolize within Chapter 12?

10. How does Amal use a particular incident from her own past as an example of the lack of one "Muslim appearance" (135) in Chapter 13?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose an object from Does My Head Look Big in This?, such as the polka dot dress, the gates of McCleans, the roller coaster, or some other symbolic object and discuss its overall meaning and its connection to themes within the text.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Abdel-Fattah's choice to tell the story of Does My Head Look Big in This? using the first person point-of-view to present Amal’s story. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what are Abdel-Fattah’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Trace the characterization arc of Amal’s character throughout the novel Does My Head Look Big in This?. Discuss whether Amal is a round or flat character and whether Amal is a static or dynamic character.

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