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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. Which of the following adjectives best describes Djata's physicality as a boy?

2. How long does Sassouma decide to wait until she finishes her plot against Sogolon?

3. What does Dankaran take away from Sundiata, sending him into a fury?

4. When Sundiata visits Ghana, what does he realize about the people who live there?

5. Who does Sogolon worry might kill Manding Bory?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when the leaders of the twelve nations meet with Sundiata in Ka-ba?

2. How are the Malian merchants discovered in Mema, and what is the reaction to their arrival?

3. Who is Manding Bory, and what role does he play in Sundiata'slife?

4. What happens when Sundiata throws a spear at Soumaoro's chest in battle?

5. How are Sundiata's troops entertained on the evening before the battle of Krishna?

6. How do the Malian people feel about a heavenly God?

7. Why are the griots considered "vessels of the past?"

8. How does the reader receive the information about Sundiata's friends and their lives after the fall of Mali?

9. What happens that causes the usually patient Sologon to beat Djata?

10. What happens when Sundiata outwits Konkon, the king of Djedeba?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are many men who pass through power in Mali. Create a list of kings that took power on the pages of Sundiata, and briefly explain how each of these kings affected the relationship Malian people had with their government.

Essay Topic 2

The battle scenes of the book are particularly vivid as the griot remembers every detail of Sundiata's successes. Choose one memorable battle scene in the book and recount it. Then, explain how the selective memory of the griot transforms the battle scenes from fact to legend.

Essay Topic 3

There are many instances throughout the text when the king is advised not to judge a person by their appearance. First, explain what the relationship between King Maghan and his advisers was, and give three examples of people the king first judged for being weak. If the king had not changed his opinion of these "weak" people, how would the storyline of the book be different?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 824 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample