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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 does the narrator scream at Selam?

2. What is Jubril's adopted Christian name?

3. Why is Jubril uncomfortable around the women on the bus?

4. Jubril was baptized into which religion?

5. Which of the following do Selam and the narrator NOT do when they see each other from their apartments?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. How does Jubril disguise his being a Muslim while on the bus?

10. How do the narrator and Selam find a way to communicate with each other when they are not allowed to play together?

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

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

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?

(see the answer keys)

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