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. What happened after Gũthera refused to give the officer what he asked for when her father was arrested?

2. What are the children fighting over when Matigari chases them away with a stick?

3. Where does Matigari tell Mũriũki he will take him when Mũriũki expresses fear of returning to the scrapyard?

4. What does Matigari see at the start of Part I that makes him think things have changed a great deal in his country since he left?

5. What did Gũthera do to support her siblings after her father's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gũthera decide she can repay Matigari for saving her, despite thinking he may be insane?

2. What does Matigari do at the mugumo tree at the start of the novel?

3. How do the men on horseback know Settler Williams and John Boy? What do they think happened to the men?

4. Describe the scrapyard that the man follows the boys to after watching them dig through garbage.

5. What does Matigari tell Mũriũki he was doing in the woods and why?

6. What does Matigari tell Mũriũki happened the day he told Settler Williams he could not longer reap the rewards of Matigari's labor?

7. What does Matigari think of as he watches a riderless horse pass him at the start of the novel?

8. What does John Boy Junior tell Matigari the problem with Black people is after Matigari says he helped pay for John Boy Junior's education? Why does John Boy Junior believe white people are able to advance?

9. Describe the conversation between Matigari and Gũthera after she offers him "a little pleasure" (24).

10. How does the boy named Mũriũki help Matigari after the boys throw stones at him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Ngũgĩ's commentary on women and their role in Matigari. How is this important to the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring the central purpose of this story. What response do you think the author hoped to get from his readers? Do you think he was successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Ngũgĩ's language style and word choice in Matigari. What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 854 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample