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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. What things is the narrator ready for when she arrives in Gaborone?

2. How often does Nelson Denoon take his retreats?

3. How does the narrator know of Nelson Denoon?

4. Where is the narrator from originally?

5. What do we learn about Nelson Denoon from the narrators flash-forward as she enters Tsau?

Short Essay Questions

1. The narrator travels across the desert to Tsau with two donkeys. How does she feel about them? Why?

2. Nelson leaves Tsau on retreat for four days. Why doesn't he tell the narrator why or where he is going? How does the narrator react?

3. What happens between the narrator and Nelson Denoon when she first finds the place he is staying?

4. Why does the narrator have such difficulty finding the place where Nelson Denoon is rumored to be staying?

5. What feelings does the narrator have as a result of visiting Victoria Falls with Giles? Why?

6. How does the author depict the relationship between Grace and Nelson Denoon? How does the reader know this?

7. Why does the narrator position herself as cultural tour guide while in Gaborone?

8. What does the narrator discover through her thesis work in the African bush? Is it what she expected?

9. What does the narrator obsess about losing after her donkey runs away? Why?

10. What does the narrator pretend to be when she enters Tsau? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are indications throughout the story that the narrator has had a poor relationship with her mother. What are some of these examples? How do you think the narrator's relationship with her mother shapes her current relationships and approach to life?

Essay Topic 2

The narrator convinces Nelson to let her use his gun to shoot vervets. This is significant because Nelson dislikes guns and does not want them in the village. Why does he feel that way? What interaction does the narrator have while out with the gun? How does this speak to Nelson's feelings?

Essay Topic 3

There are changes occurring in Tsau. A small faction of villagers are separating themselves and asking for things that have previously not been allowed. A tense feeling is building among the villagers, the Mother Committee, and Nelson Denoon. What does the emergence of a split off group mean for the village? Include in your answer how this is the same or different from ordinary society and the normal progression of a society.

(see the answer keys)

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