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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 old are Otieno and Atieno?

2. Who is outraged that he/she overslept on Christmas and lost the chance to beg from white tourists?

3. Kotchikpa realizes that their hut is going to be ___________________________.

4. Which of the following is NOT something Maisha had when she left for work a few days ago?

5. How does Maisha make money for the family?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Fofo Kpee explain the delivery of the new motorcycle to the children?

2. How does Maisha's physical appearance symbolize her stolen innocence derived from her beauty?

3. What is the premise of "Fattening for Gabon"?

4. What is Baba's fantasy about Maisha's life and how does the rundown taxi actually symbolize the life Maisha will have?

5. Why is Maisha a prostitute at the age of twelve?

6. What is the true extent of Mama's gratitude toward Maisha when she gets on her knees to thank her daughter?

7. Where does Fofo store his acquired goods and why are they really useless?

8. What is the importance of "the bad night" when Fofo masturbates in front of the children?

9. Why does Mama give her children glue to sniff on Christmas morning?

10. Why does Mama try to break into Maisha's trunk?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of Maisha in "An Ex-Mas Feast (Kenya)". What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Maisha?

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters in the stories who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the role of the family in Akpan's stories.. What does it mean for some of the characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How are some of the families fractured? Give examples.

(see the answer keys)

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