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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 is the age difference between Nhamo and Tambu?

2. How does Nyasha feel about her family's maid?

3. In what order are Tambu's visiting relatives served at dinner?

4. Which of the following purchases brings confused tears to Tambu's eyes?

5. Which of the following activities has Babamukuru forbidden while he is visiting?

Short Essay Questions

1. What strategies does Tambu employ to keep her mind on her studies?

2. How is Babamukuru treated by the village when he returns?

3. What do the village children eat at the dinner party honoring Babamukuru?

4. What does Babamukuru say in his formal speech welcoming Tambu to the family?

5. How does Tambu react to her discovery in the cornfield?

6. How does Tambu react to Babamukuru's arrival in the village?

7. How does Babamukuru control the education of the village children where Tambu lives?

8. How does Nyasha feel about the time she and her brother spent in England?

9. How does Nyasha react to the fact that she cannot find her D.H. Lawrence book?

10. What happens when Tambu begins to grow her own garden of corn to pay for her tuition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Back at the homestead, two interesting characters, Lucia and Takesure, are introduced for one scene only. First, describe Lucia, Takesure, and their relationship. Why do you think Dangarembga chose to introduce these characters so late in the novel? What do these two characters represent to Tambu when she returns to the village for the first time?

Essay Topic 2

Tambu experiences many culture shocks when she leaves the village and joins Babamukuru's family in the city. First, create a list of amenities Tambu is unused to in the city, and briefly explain how she copes with these changes. Then explain Tambu's struggle with self-pity. Why does she feel this way about herself after moving to the city?

Essay Topic 3

When the story opens, Tambu admits that she was not sorry when her brother died. First, explain the relationship Tambu had with her older brother, Nhamo. Then explain how Nhamo's death affected Tambu's life and why she might have been pleased to see him die.

(see the answer keys)

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