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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. What does Munira need at his school?

2. Which part of Abdulla's body is bandaged?

3. What kind of animal does Abdulla own?

4. Mzigo hands Munira an invitation from ___________.

5. What was the name of the school from which Munira was expelled?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the meeting between Wanja and her mother.

2. How does the airplane bring Abdullah success in Chapter 11?

3. How did Munira find God?

4. What is Theng'eta?

5. How did religion change Munira?

6. Summarize the history of Ilorog as outlined at the beginning of Chapter 4.

7. Why was the year following Wanja's departure so hard?

8. Describe how Abdullah built his shop into a worthy business.

9. In what way does Ilmorog no longer look the place it was?

10. What comparison does Wanja make between Munira and Karega?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Petals of Blood is a famous book which has greatly influenced African literature. Choose a book written after Petals of Blood that you think was influenced by the novel and discuss their similarities in terms of:

a) plot

b) character

c) themes

Essay Topic 2

Examine how different independent Kenya was from colonized Kenya. How did Kenya change when it became independent? Were all the changes positive? What effect did Kenya have on the nation's mindset?

Essay Topic 3

Petals of Blood is written in the third person. Why do you think Thiongo chose to write the story in the third person? How do you think the meaning of the story would have changed if it were written in the first person? What difference does it make to the story that Thiongo is one of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 675 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample