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. When Matigari asks people at a restaurant where he can find truth and justice, what do they tell him?

2. What emblem is on the Minister of Truth's tie?

3. What does Matigari say after telling John Boy Junior he will be back the next day to take back his home?

4. After escaping prison, what does Matigari hear most people discussing as he walks asking where he can find truth and justice?

5. Why is Matigari said to be "particularly dangerous" (115) when his escape is announced?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Minister of Truth tell his audience he and John Boy Junior have in common? What does he say happened to John Boy Junior's father?

2. What do the boys in the scrapyard want Mũriũki to tell them at the start of Part II?

3. What does the Provincial Commissioner announce a ban on during the Minister's meeting? What does he change the name Trampville to and why?

4. What is different about the student when Matigari finds him in Part II after speaking to the old woman in the wilderness? Why?

5. Why does the Provincial Commissioner compare Matigari to Rip Van Winkle?

6. Who does the Minister of Truth tell the audience "the country's... welfare and stability are dependent on" (97) after Matigari is arrested?

7. What does Gũthera say she has felt since Matigari saved her life? How does she speak about the female experience after she helped Matigari escape from the mental hospital?

8. What is the difference between the workers' homes and the homes of the wealthy that Matigari, Gũthera and Mũriũki pass as they drive in the Mercedes they got in the wilderness?

9. What does the teacher tell Matigari when he goes to him after speaking to the student in Part II? What advice does he give Matigari?

10. What are some rumors Matigari hears about himself as he walks around in search of truth and justice at the start of Part II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Ngũgĩ’s focus on the theme of colonialism in Matigari.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss elements of the narrative structure: Exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the novel's themes?

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 921 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample