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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. How does Dr. Han help the cause of the internees?

2. How many guards does Ayesha say came for Layla’s parents?

3. Who has arrived at the camp the morning after Layla’s confrontation with the Director?

4. Who does Layla think must be the traitor who has talked with the Director about the students’ plans?

5. How does David address his previous conversation with Layla when he sees her again?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Layla’s resistance take root after the fast protest?

2. What does Samira Ahmed say makes her angry in the Author’s Note, and what does she say gives her hope?

3. What does the Director want from Layla when he calls her to his office?

4. What kind of gathering starts to collect outside the gates of the camp?

5. What does Jake tell Layla about his compass rose tattoo?

6. How does David’s second visit come about, and what does it accomplish?

7. What circumstances lead to Soheil’s death?

8. What is the threat that looms over Layla’s head, and how does she adjust herself to avoid it?

9. What does the Director weaponize in his second meeting with Layla in his office?

10. Where is Layla interrogated again, after the interview in the Director’s office?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the difference between writing a novel and performing activism. How are they similar, how are they different? Is Ahmed’s book a form of activism? What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing a novel as a form of activism?

Essay Topic 2

What does this book tell us about what it means to be American? What are the different views about Americanness? What does Americanness mean for the characters, and how does it inspire them?

Essay Topic 3

Where is the climax of this book? Are there different climaxes? What questions does each climax resolve? What questions does each climax leave unanswered?

(see the answer keys)

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