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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 activity was considered illegal that the women sometimes did on the terrace?

2. What does the Moroccan word "tanaqod" mean?

3. When Mernissi went home from school to have lunch, what animal did she like to hug in the street?

4. Who did Mernissi go with to the forbidden terrace on her first visit?

5. What kind of herb did Mernissi say that Aunt Habiba added to olives?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Mernissi like about the nationalist school she was allowed to attend?

2. Why did the women of the harem believe that they had to look as ugly as possible during their beauty rituals?

3. Why did Aunt Habiba visit the forbidden terrace?

4. What did Mernissi's mother do when her husband bought her expensive face products from France?

5. Why did Mernissi like to hide in olive jars?

6. How did Mina survive being put down a well by her kidnappers as a young child?

7. What did Mina tell Mernissi about the gap between men and women?

8. How did Lalla Mani prepare her face mask made of dates?

9. Describe Mina's physical appearance.

10. What was Mernissi's father's attitude about her mother's beauty rituals?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how Mernissi's life changed once institutions for educating girls were approved. What did she like about the nationalist school she transferred to? How did going to this school improve her life?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Chama's plays and their importance in the harem. How did they provide entertainment and knowledge? In what ways did the women discover hidden talents because of the plays?

Essay Topic 3

Why did Mernissi fear the French soldiers as a young child? What did she and Samir witness regarding the soldiers that had a negative effect on them? Why does Mernissi say the French were greedy?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 785 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample