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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. About what is Hosny certain when he sees Zohra?

2. What does Amer think of Marzug?

3. What does Sarhan insist about Zohra?

4. Which of the boarders is a 30-year-old peasant?

5. Who does Hosny go and have sex with after failing to embrace Zohra in the hall?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Hosny feel towards marriage and women?

2. What do Amer and Mariana complain about and plan?

3. How does Amer respond to the news that Zohra is taking reading lessons, and how do others respond?

4. Describe the encounter between Zohra, Hosny and Sarhan.

5. Where has Amer Wagdi moved and how long has it been since he was last there?

6. Describe Hosny Allam.

7. Why does Hosny move to Miramar and what is his first thought about Zohra?

8. After dropping the woman off at Mazarita, how does Hosny relieve his tension?

9. How does Hosny feel about old people?

10. Describe Mansour Bahy.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and sometimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Miramar" is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Many events that happen in "Miramar" are foreshadowed by previous events and/or signs. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "foreshadow."

2. Why would an author use foreshadowing? Do you think it adds or detracts from your experience as a reader? Explain.

3. Trace and analyze five instances of foreshadowing in the story. Match up what is mentioned earlier and what it foreshadows. Did you guess that each instance of foreshadowing was a "heads up" of something to come? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Naguib Mahfouz has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think "Miramar" qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. What surprises you about the culture of late 1960s Egypt?

(see the answer keys)

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