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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 Chapter 1, what is the one thing left standing where Ngũgĩ’s home used to be?

2. What book did the landscape from the scouting event in Chapter 35 inspire?

3. Who replaced Anthony Eden as British Prime Minister?

4. What did Ngũgĩ’s mother make for his friends when they visited in Chapter 23?

5. What is the name of the man who tells Ngũgĩ where to find his family in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are Ngũgĩ, Wanjai and Leonard late getting back from Nairobi Saturday?

2. How does Ngũgĩ describe the homes of the loyal vs. those of the disloyal in Chapter 13?

3. What descriptive words does Ngũgĩ use to show the reader what his home looks like upon his first return?

4. Why is Charity arrested? What is she accused of doing? Does Ngũgĩ think she did it? Why or why not?

5. What is a memoir?

6. What did Ngũgĩ see at the event for Lord Baden Powell that he found most moving?

7. What did Kenneth and Ngũgĩ decide to do for their village when they met at a scouting event?

8. What did they learn of E.K. that gravely disappoints and ultimately disbands the cabal?

9. What did Ngũgĩ learn happened to his mother while he was at school?

10. Describe the significance of the Mugumo tree at the end of Chapter 31.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Upon returning to school after the second break, Ngũgĩ describes Alliance as “shelter” but no longer uses the word “sanctuary.” Write a short essay on why you think this changes.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolic significance of the Alliance uniform. How did it make Ngũgĩ feel? What did it represent to the outside world? Use examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Write a short essay on the use of imagery in In the House of the Interpreter. Consider words like bloodhounds, pear tree, fortress, sanctuary. What do they mean in the context of the story? What feelings do these words evoke? Is it effective? Why or Why Not?

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