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

Short Answer Questions

1. Whose troops does Soumaoro first concentrate on defeating in the battle?

2. What does Sundiata dress as before he begins his battle?

3. Who is Nana Triban's mother?

4. As Sundiata travels toward Soumaoro, what do the cities he passes through give to him?

5. What do the people of Mali hope Sundiata can recover?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When the story opens, Djeli Mamoudou Koutate is introduced to the readers as a local griot. Briefly describe the role griots play in African culture and then compare / contrast the role griots played during Sundiata's time with their role in the culture today. How does the use of a griot in Sundiata's tale affect the way it is expressed to the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Jealousy is one of the most focused on themes of "Sundiata" and there are many lessons to learn on this topic. Briefly describe two characters in the book who are jealous of Sundiata. How do these characters express their jealousy? At the end of the book, how are the jealous actions of these two characters rewarded or punished? What lesson is there to be learned about jealousy through the characters of the book?

Essay Topic 3

Sundiata's parents, Sogolon and King Maghan Fatta, had an unusual courtship and relationship. Explain how Sundiata's parents came to be married. Then, create a time line of events that both drew the couple together and tore them apart. Finally, explain how King Maghan Fatta felt about his second wife at the time of his death, and why.

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