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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. One day, the narrator smells ________________ in the apartment.

2. How old is the narrator?

3. Why does the narrator scream at Selam?

4. This story is about the divide between ____________________________.

5. The chief offers some crackers to Jubril on what condition?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are the narrator and Selam no longer allowed to play together?

2. What ban by the Nigerian government takes place just prior to the opening of the story, "Luxurious Hearses"?

3. What is the core source of all the violence that takes place in the story?

4. How is the story, "What Language is That"? different from the other stories in this book?

5. What is the main point of the story, "What Language is That"?

6. What elements of Western life are uncomfortable for Jubril while on the bus?

7. How had Jubril lost his right hand and why is it important for him to hide that fact while on the bus?

8. Why does Akpan choose second person narration for the story?

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

10. What is the narrator's father's advice to Selam regarding eating pork?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the overall setting for the stories in the book? Be sure to include geography, time period and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did Akpan choose to use these places in the stories?

Essay Topic 2

Choose three characters from different stories and then project into the future ten years and write a brief synopsis for their lives. Be sure to include geography, marital status, work, socialization, etc.

Essay Topic 3

Evil is an important theme in the stories. Can you cite an example to support this theme? Name two other themes and cite examples to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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