View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What handicap does Fomba develop on the journey of the slave-ship?

2. What gift does Chekura give to Meena on his first visit to see her in Book Two, Chapter 7?

3. How is Meena’s father killed by the captors?

4. What year does the author denote in the opening of Book Two, Chapter 7?

5. By what title does Meena refer to the white man on the ship that makes her his assistant in Book One, Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the marriage exchange between Meena’s mother and father described in Book One, Chapter 2?

2. How does Aminata describe the history of storytellers in her village in Book One, Chapter 4?

3. How does Aminata describe the journey she is taken on after the auction in Book Two, Chapter 6?

4. How does Meena overcome the attack from Master Appleby in Book Two, Chapter 8?

5. What setting is described in the opening of Book Two, Chapter 6? How do the slaves react to this setting?

6. How does Dolly teach Meena in her daily tasks in Book Two, Chapter 9?

7. How does Meena describe the devastation of the smallpox plague of 1774 in Book Two, Chapter 10?

8. How is the character of Dolly described in Book Two, Chapter 9?

9. What does Aminata asks Chekura to do when she begins menstruating in Book One, Chapter 3?

10. How old is Chekura described in Book One, Chapter 3? How did he come to be among the captors?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the birth of Mamadu, his “kidnapping,” and Meena’s despair over Mamadu’s loss in Book Two, Chapter 8. Who takes Mamadu? Why? How does Meena respond to this tragedy?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the perceptions of the slaves upon arriving at Sullivan’s Island. How different is this setting from their native Africa? How were the slaves dressed when they arrived here? How were they treated?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the narrative style of the story. Is the narrator involved directly in the action of the story? Is the story related in present or past tense? What effect does each of these choices have on the reader?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 871 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample