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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. How does Joseph respond upon hearing that Obi has purchased a ring for Clara?

2. What descriptive passage communicates the setting and culture in the Onitsha market?

3. What makes Obi go to a slum in Lagos when he returns from England?

4. What are the villagers particularly happy about?

5. What new evidence does Obi see about the pervasiveness of bribery in Nigeria on the way home on the wagon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What internal conflict does Obi experience while he is on his first visit with his father at home?

2. What turn does the relationship between Obi and Clara take shortly after getting his new job?

3. What event foreshadows Obi's experiences with bribery when the boat bringing Clara and Obi back from England docks at Lagos?

4. What immediate effect does Obi's new job have on his financial status and on Clara?

5. What are the main events involving Obi at the December meeting of the UPU attended by Joseph and Obi?

6. What is the meaning of Obi's full name and why did his father give him this name?

7. What contact has there been between Clara and Obi before being together in the Lagos slum where Clara has a dressmaker?

8. What sights does Obi observe and how does he respond When Obi returns to Lagos from England and visits a Lagos slum?

9. What does Obi encounter that reminds him about the prevalence of bribery when going home for a short visit while waiting for the result of his interview?

10. How welcoming is Mr. Green when Obi is introduced on his first day at work in the civil service?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An important aspect of the novel's impact lies in the ability of the author to portray character effectively. Justifying your answer with reference to specific examples, discuss the methods used by the author to portray two major and two minor characters in the story.

Essay Topic 2

How does the story of Obi suggest that his father erred in his decision to give him a name meaning, "the mind at last is at rest?"

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the roles of Joseph and Christopher in the novel, with specific reference to the role of Christopher as a foil to Obi.

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