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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. Why do yams in the African marketplace rot?

2. What kind of cake does Marija make for Sissie?

3. Why is Marija happy that Little Adolph is a boy?

4. What does Sissie refer to as a spy system?

5. What is the result of "dying in the hands of a brother who made it" (59)?

Short Essay Questions

1. For how long has Kunle lived in Africa?

2. What type of cake does Marija bake for Sissie?

3. According to Sissie, what would have allowed her and Marija to have a love affair?

4. What meat does Marija plan to cook for Sissie on the day she is scheduled to depart?

5. How much weight does Sissie gain when in Europe?

6. What beverage does Marija offer Sissie in Part 2: "The Plums?"

7. What does Part 2: "The Plums" say about education?

8. Who tells Sissie that going out late is against the rules?

9. What does Part 2: "The Plums" say about love?

10. To what city does Sissie travel to meet her West African friend?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about how colonialism is represented in the novel. In your essay, address which countries are listed as colonizers, what areas they have colonized, and how this activity is portrayed within the novel. Use textual evidence to support your observations.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you address the significance of language in the novel. What language does Sissie speak? What is(/are) the official language(s) of Ghana? What does Sissie think about the English language? Is language related to power, as demonstrated in the novel? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze how the stereotypical African family unit (especially the African mother) is portrayed within the novel. Of whose mother does the reader see glimpses in the narration? What are this woman's family's circumstances? Use evidence from the text to support your observations.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 474 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample