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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. Who saves Hierophant 1’s life?

2. What criticism does Battraville say is leveled against Haitian art?

3. Where is Berbelang shot?

4. Why did the Jes Grew quit?

5. What did the Knights Templars do to raise their standing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Moses read the Work to the people?

2. What caused 50,000 Templars to be murdered in 1307?

3. Who is gathered at the Irvington-on-Hudson party?

4. What prevents Hierophant 1 from taking poison?

5. Describe Woodrow Wilson Jefferson’s departure for home.

6. What request does Earline make to PaPaLaBas?

7. Describe the pendant that Hinkle Von Vampton wears around his neck.

8. How are Hank Rollings’ objections to Hinkle Von Vampton and Safecracker Gould’s arrest get resolved?

9. What is the meaning of the chart inserted in the historical account leading up to Hinkle Von Vampton and Safecracker Gould’s arrest?

10. What does Battraville reveal to PaPaLaBas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Would you recommend Mumbo Jumbo? For what purposes would you recommend Mumbo Jumbo, and what kinds of readers would you recommend it for? What other book would you recommend that would cover the same material or tell the same story in a different way?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 13, Abdul says that he put together his education like a quilt, “a patch of knowledge here a patch there but lovingly knitted.” (p. 37). Is this the best metaphor for the storytelling of Mumbo Jumbo, or does the novel provide a better explanation of its technique? Explain why this or another explanation is the most fitting metaphor for the book’s construction.

Essay Topic 3

In what ways is Mumbo Jumbo relevant to contemporary readers? What contemporary issues are in play in the book, and how would the book contribute to contemporary discussion? Cite specific discussions from contemporary sources, and cite specific instances from the book, that describe its contemporary relevance.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 853 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample