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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 is Marija happy that Little Adolph is a boy?

2. What does Sissie wish to be?

3. What can Sissie not understand?

4. What does Sissie think that Marija's tears signify?

5. What did the doctor say during Little Adolph's birth?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What does the German-born American professor tell Sissie that Germany, Ireland, and Africa have in common?

4. How does Sissie describe East Berlin?

5. What does Part 2: "The Plums" claim is not a child's game?

6. What city does Marija claim that Sissie ought to visit?

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

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

9. What does Marija give Sissie before she departs?

10. According to a poem in Part 2: "The Plums," what shape are the women that men marry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The economics of education are presented at several points during the novel. Write an essay in which you analyze how education is related to economics as presented in the novel. In your essay, you might consider what kind of volunteer work and studies students undertake abroad. You can also consider whether the connection between education and economics is portrayed in a positive, negative, fashion (or a mix of both). Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the heart transplant described by Kunle in Part 3: From Our Sister Killjoy. What are the details of this operation as it is presented in the text, and what are the various characters' reactions? In particular, how does Kunle's perspective differ from Sissie's? You may also discuss your own perspective on the operation, but, as always, please use evidence from the text to support your response.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing the foreign language terms, including any racial slurs, used within the novel. In your essay, consider why the author might use foreign languages within the text, and whether foreign languages are used to a similar effect or different effects in various sections. In your essay, cite specific examples of terms used in making your argument.

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This section contains 573 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample