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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 old was Mamush when Samuel hung the letters of the Ethiopian alphabet on the wall and had Mamush repeat a few sentences at breakfast every morning?

2. What time did Mamush leave the Chicago courthouse?

3. What did Samuel say the soldier in his story started buying from cooks and mangers when he worked in diners in Chicago?

4. How long did Mamush wait for a bus when he left Samuel and Elsa's apartment because Samuel was upset?

5. In Chapter 20, what does Mamush find in the glove compartment of Samuel's cab?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was it important for Samuel to keep his cab clean, but not too clean?

2. What type of trips did Mamush like to take with Samuel when he was young?

3. What is Samuel's room like at the half-way house?

4. Who did Samuel drive to Massachusetts, and how did he plan to turn trips like that into a business?

5. What happened when the police came to arrest Samuel when Mamush and his mother lived in Chicago?

6. What changes did Mamush notice as he walked where the corner store used to be near his mother and his apartment in Chicago?

7. How did Samuel try to teach Mamush not to be afraid?

8. What story does Samuel tell Mamush about a soldier and a woman from Ethiopia?

9. What information did the clerk at the courthouse have for Mamush?

10. How did Samuel attempt to teach Mamush Amharic?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Anecdotes are short stories used by an author to provide personal knowledge or experience for a topic being discussed. What are some anecdotes Mengestu uses in the book? How does the use of anecdotes help readers understand concepts?

Essay Topic 2

Samuel was Mamush's father. However, they had more of an uncle/nephew relationship than a father/son relationship. How would you describe the relationship between Mamush and Samuel?

Essay Topic 3

In media res is the technique of beginning a story with a pivotal point or a situation that is the end to a series of events. Where does Mengestu begin the story? How does he plunge into the story without an explanation? How does beginning the story in the middle of the action affect the plot and affect readers?

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