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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. For whom did they build a community center when at Camp Mutonguini?

2. What detective writer did Ngũgĩ begin to read and attempt to emulate in Chapter 50?

3. During the fight between The Bishop and The General, Ngũgĩ had a vision of a man of God holding what?

4. In Chapter 55, Ngũgĩ studied hard for exams in the hopes of attending which university?

5. What book did Ngũgĩ read that depicted an image of an African woman as evil?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Ngũgĩ find in common with Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights?

2. In 1957, Ngũgĩ became dorm prefect. Describe the first time he was challenged by a fellow student.

3. On the stand, Ngũgĩ says something from his Alliance days helped him. What is it?

4. What was the letter that John gave to Ngũgĩ, and what did it mean to him?

5. How did Ngũgĩ’s conversation with Lady Teacher help him with his own spiritual doubts?

6. How did Ngũgĩ know the Akamba people prior to volunteering to build them a community center?

7. What do readers know about John Kabae, and why does Ngũgĩ think he might be able to help?

8. Describe Ngũgĩ’s first visit to the school library.

9. What does Ngũgĩ mean when he says that Alliance did not divide Africans across racial lines?

10. What was the “comedy” Ngũgĩ saw in being taken to Kiambu Remand Prison?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When discussing his seeing Tell Freedom in his teacher, Allan Ogot’s, hands, Ngũgĩ says: “This would become a pattern in my intellectual growth: passing comments and fleeting images, often outside the formal classroom, would leave a lasting, sometimes pivotal mark on my life” (27). What are some of these moments in the text?

Essay Topic 2

What does Ngũgĩ mean when he says “the immortality of literary creations” (66) in Part II? What author and scenario is he discussing at the time?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the passage of Pilgrim’s Progress read by Edward Carey Francis on page 42. Why do you think he reads this particular passage? What significance does this have to the story and the title?

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