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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 do Sarhan and Safeya do in Mahmoud's presence?

2. What plan of Zohra's does Mansour approve?

3. How does Mansour find Sarhan?

4. What are Ali and Sarhan planning?

5. About what do Mansour and Fawzi banter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sarhan do the first time Zohra delivers tea to his room and how do the two interact over the next several days?

2. What does Sarhan say about Mariana when he asks to rent a room and how does Zohra act when she sees him at the Miramar?

3. How does Mansour react to Sarhan's announcement that he intends to marry Aleya?

4. When does Sarhan first see Zohra and what does he do?

5. Describe Sarhan's encounter with Tolba on the street.

6. Why is Mansour at the Miramar and how does he feel about that?

7. How does Sarhan's relationship with Aleya develop?

8. What happens when Sarhan tries to kiss Zohra for the first time, and what is Zohra's reaction?

9. What are Sarhan's quick impressions of Hosny and Mansour?

10. Wat does Sarhan say about the Umm Kulthum concert?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1. Research the history of Egypt in the first 7 decades of the 20th century and write a summary of what you learn that is relevant to understanding the political situation in "Miramar".

2. Research the basic tenets of Islam and explain how Islam informs the plot and characters in "Miramar".

3. Do you believe it makes for a more sophisticated and enjoyable reading of a book such as "Miramar" to understand the basic political and religious forces at play in the book? Explain fully with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Define irony in literary terms. Discuss the irony of the situation that Hosny is not as well educated as most of the other boarders and can neither read nor write well and yet is considered upper class and feels superior to the other boarders at the Miramar. Discuss two other ironic situations in the book. Do you think the author intends irony towards the characters and their behaviors?

2. Define symbolism in literary terms. Discuss the use and meaning of five symbols you choose to analyze from "Miramar". What do they symbolize? Is the symbolism obvious? Effective? Does the symbolism contribute to the enjoyment of reading?

3. Discuss five literary devices that occur in Mirama and how they are used. Are they effective? Do they add or detract from the reading of the book? Why or why not. Some possible techniques: allusion, connotation, denouement, dialogue, flashback, figurative language, motif, metaphor, narrator, point of view, simile, mood, and puns.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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