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. Who said that skin was political?

2. Who rescued Mernissi when she got stuck in the olive jars she had slid into?

3. What did Samir and Malika plan to analyze when they went up to the forbidden terrace?

4. Who did Mernissi borrow charm books from?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Samir thrown out of the women's hamman?

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

3. Why did Mernissi become involved with shour, or magic practices?

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

5. What was Mernissi's reaction when she went up to the forbidden terrace?

6. Why did Mina feel optimistic about the future for women?

7. What was Aunt Habiba's rule for the children who attended Sidi Belal's dance?

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

9. How did Mernissi's mother tame her daughter's unruly hair?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the symbolism of the forbidden terrace. Why did the children and depressed women wish to go to the terrace? How did lives seem to change and grow because of the terrace?

Essay Topic 2

In what ways did the natural world play an essential role in the lives of women in this memoir? How did Mernissi respond to living on the farm as opposed to the city house? What did Yasmina tell her about the natural world and women?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Mernissi and Samir's relationship. What did they share when they were young and how did it change when Mernissi turned nine? What caused the rift between them?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample