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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. Where does Tambu's mother sell her food items?

2. What year does Nhamo die?

3. Which of the following is Babamukuru's nickname within the village?

4. What language does Tambu and her family speak at home?

5. What is the only thing Tambu wants to do after she arrives at Babamukuru's?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why are the young men at Babamukuru's dinner party unhappy?

3. What emotions does Tambu feel when she enters her uncle, Babamukuru's, home for the first time?

4. How is the ice between Tambu and Nyasha finally broken, and what do they discuss during their first conversation?

5. How does Tambu's mother provide financial help for her household?

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

7. How does Tambu handle washing the hands of her relatives?

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

9. How does Tambu feel about the tea Maiguru serves at her home?

10. How does Babamukuru's family feel about their maid, Anna?

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

The older female characters have many different responsibilities. First, create a list of older female characters in the text and briefly describe each of their roles within the family. What is the attitude of the older women toward their responsibilities in the family? How do their attitudes compare/contrast to the attitudes of the younger girls?

Essay Topic 3

At the end of the novel, Babamukuru announces that Jeremiah and Mainini will have a church wedding. First, explain why this wedding was so important to Babamukuru that he would offer to pay for the whole thing. What traditional customs does this wedding represent? Then explain Tambu's reaction to the forced marriage. How does this wedding change her views of her family?

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