View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Tambu feel about her parents' wedding?

2. Which of the following characters begs Babamukuru to spare Nyasha and kill them instead?

3. Why is Nyasha favored within the school system?

4. Which of the following students claims that studying for the exams is "the first time I've done something that matters"?

5. What is Babamukuru's only expense at Tambu's new school?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tambu feel when Babamukuru returns to the city, leaving her alone with her pregnant mother?

2. What part about studying makes Nyasha most nervous, and how does she combat those nerves?

3. How does Tambu react when Lucia announces that she is leaving the homestead for good?

4. What is the process of being "screened out" at school and why does Nyasha fear it?

5. How does Babamukuru propose to deal with the evil that has been following his family?

6. What is Tambu's punishment for refusing to attend her parents' wedding?

7. Why doesn't Nyasha want to attend the missionary school one town over?

8. What causes Lucia to burst out of the kitchen during the family meeting and attack Takesure?

9. How does Tambu feel about having to return to the homestead to visit her family for Christmas?

10. What is Maiguru responsible for during the trip to the homestead, and how does she react to this responsibility?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tambu's family runs on a strict hierarchy. First, explain the hierarchy within Tambu's extended family -- who is on top? Who is on the bottom? Then explain how the hierarchy is expressed during the opening scenes in the novel, when Babamukuru first returns to the village. Then compare/contrast that to the way the hierarchy is expressed when Tambu returns to the village for the Christmas holidays. What has changed? What has stayed the same?

Essay Topic 2

Maiguru spends the entire novel babying her husband, Babamukuru. First, give two examples of times when Maiguru treats Babamukuru as a child rather than a man. Then explain the motivations Maiguru has for treating her husband in this way. How does it affect their marital relationship? Finally, explain whether or not you think Maiguru is a good wife to Babamukuru and why.

Essay Topic 3

Although many of the characters in the novel are black Africans, there are a few scenes in which the black characters interact with white characters. First, give examples of two scenes in which blacks and whites interact. Then describe the speech patterns of the white characters and compare/contrast that speech to the black characters. Based on their verbal interactions, how do the white characters regard the black characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,078 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample