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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. Who is the village elder who competed to be village head in Part III and lost?

2. What great memory did Yaya's husband tell her about?

3. Where does Thula end up going for school every day?

4. Why does Sahel resent Malabo so much after his disappearance?

5. Who is Sahel surprised to hear is marrying in Thula's fourth year of school?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the Koswans believe Jakani and Sakani "return" to them?

2. When do the Koswans first receive money from Pexton, and why?

3. What has Yaya heard about the key to His Excellency's longevity?

4. What did Pexton tell the Kosawans about how long it would take for them to extract oil when they first arrived in the village?

5. In Part IV, what does the Sweet One tell Sahel and Yaya about Thula's actions in America?

6. What do the people from the Restoration Movement promise Sahel specifically?

7. Whose is the first blood to spill in the massacre in Part III in Kosawa's town square?

8. What first got Thula to speak more often in Part III?

9. Who did people tell Yaya Thula was a replica of?

10. What does Sahel tell the Sweet One in Part IV when he tells her about Thula's activities?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What happens when Thula finally returns to Kosawa from America, and how does Thula describe her own decision to do so? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Although Mbue explores dark and serious themes in this novel, she also employs humor at different points. Write an essay analyzing Mbue's use of humor in this novel, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

What does Juba find out, decades later, about "The Leader" from Pexton who the Kosawans kidnapped, and how does this knowledge affect Juba's perspective about the suffering that Pexton brought to both Kosawa and others?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample