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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 Taita filled with terror when he sees the dust cloud of the approaching enemy?
2. How does Taita map out the Nile as the ships travel on it?
3. What happens when Memnon sees Masara again?
4. How are the Hyksos a backward people, according to Taita?
5. What would happen if Lostris bore the illegitimate child of another man?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is Taita's reaction to the birth of Memnon? How does he slightly bridge the gap between the roles that both Tanus and Pharaoh play in Lostris's life?
2. Why will so few people ride astride a horse? (Throughout the novel, only Hui, Taita, and Memnon dare this.) What reaction do they get when people see them astride the horses? Why do you think they get this reaction?
3. What is the reaction of both Tanus and Pharaoh to the news of Lostris's pregnancy? What do their reactions say about their personal priorities?
4. Why does Nembet disregard Tanus's warning about the Hyksos army? What does this say about gaining a military reputation in ancient Egypt? What ultimate price does Nembet pay?
5. What is the attitude of the Hyksos as they face the Egyptians in battle? What do you think is the reason for this arrogance? What has led them this far west?
6. How does Taita justify the enslavement of the Shilluk people? What does he observe about their customs and what does he seek to change? How do the Shilluk customs of marriage differentiate, in a large part, their culture from that of the Egyptians?
7. How does the love between Memnon and Masara mirror the love between Tanus and Lostris? How is it different?
8. How does Lord Intef die? Considering his life, is this a suitable death? Why?
9. Both Tanus and Taita are struck with longing for Ethiopians possessions: the blue sword and the horses, respectively. How do these passion signal deep trouble in the future? How do these desires change the men's thinking?
10. How does Taita explain Lostris's second pregnancy? Why does the council believe him? What from Lostris's reputation prepares them to believe Taita's story?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What value of the story comes in its historical background? Does the story become any richer or more plausible because of the history? How might you read the novel if you knew it was completely fictional?
Essay Topic 2
What significance is there in the fact that Memnon's first wife is from another culture? Does it counteract Lostris's desire that Egypt remain a wandering nation in Cush rather than settling down? How does this expand the range of Egypt's power even before Memnon becomes king?
Essay Topic 3
How much knowledge does Taita have of the inner workings of both Lord Intef's and Pharaoh's courts? Why is this so? In other words, is he given this knowledge only because of his lowly position in society?
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This section contains 2,080 words (approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page) |
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