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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 many days does the narrator watch Selam's apartment building?

2. The narrator and her best friend vacation with ___________________.

3. Why do the bus passengers side with Jubril against the village chief?

4. How old are the girls in the story?

5. The narrator's parents no longer want her to play with whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator do during the days after being restricted from playing with Selam?

2. What is at the base of all the trivial conflicts in the story?

3. How does Akpan's choice of second person narration affect the reader?

4. Who is Jubril and why must he disguise his religious identity aboard a bus headed out of the city?i

5. What is notable about the story "What Language is That?"

6. Who is Hadiya and how does she impact the relationship between the narrator and Selam?

7. Who are the narrator and Selam and what is their relationship?

8. What is the message of the story at the end?

9. How do the policemen who take the sick man off the bus represent the corruption that exists in the country?

10. What is the unifying thread of the conflicts in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Create a character study of Monique in "My Parents' Bedroom (Rwanda)". What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Monique?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of women in Africa in the late-20th century when the women in the stories are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have?

(see the answer keys)

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