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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 Modou gain many promotions in his job?

2. What does the narrator believe her in-laws do not understand?

3. What is said out loud during the mourning rituals?

4. What is remarkable about the narrator?

5. How many sons does Aunty Nabou have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What evidence of Modou's negligence to his first family is there? How does the narrator react?

2. How might Aissatou's situation be a bigger problem in Senegal than for a woman with the same situation in the United States. What are the similarities?

3. How would you describe Ramatoulaye's attitudes about men and women? Could she be considered a feminist?

4. What are some things Daouda does when he visits the narrator that implies his future offer of marriage?

5. How does the family feel about Ibrahima?

6. What does the narrator write in her diary as a young woman and remembers in this chapter?

7. Compare and contrast the second marriages of Mawdo and Modou.

8. What evidence is there that racism exists in Senegal? What is the narrator's response to the problem?

9. What are the narrator's concerns for some of her children?

10. How does the narrator react to Modou's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much is written in this book about the fact that education is necessary for a country to grow and become strong economically and to bring about equality of the sexes. The United States educational system is said to be on the decline, which may result in the United States being less competitive in the marketplace in the future. Research educational systems in several countries around the world; choose at least one country considered to be "third world," and one labeled "Western world." Compare and contrast their educational systems. How has the availability or lack of educational opportunities helped or hurt a country's general living conditions? In your opinion, what does the United States need to do to improve their educational system?

Essay Topic 2

Polygamy is against the law in the United States, but many other countries, including Senegal, allow men to have multiple wives but not wives having multiple husbands. What does it say about a culture that allows men to have several wives, but not the reverse and how do you think women are viewed in these countries? Should polygamy be controlled by law and what are the advantages and disadvantages of allowing polygamy?

Discuss the way you think a household with multiple wives would work, i.e., would one wife be in charge of the others and what about the children?

Essay Topic 3

Greed has been one of the strongest motivators for much of the trauma that has happened among humanity--everything from stealing, lying, and cheating to murder, war, and genocide can be traced to individual and national greed. Find four significant events in history that happened almost solely because of greed. Discuss each event. What are the similarities among the events? What was the outcome? Who profited? Who were the losers? Is greed still a big motivator?

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