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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 far north of Zambezi is the terrorist camp?

2. What position at the Khami Mission did Gideon hold for over sixty years?

3. According to the person who greets Tungata at the hospital, how long has the Umlimo been in the geriatric ward of the hospital?

4. After Ralph and his men attack and kills the Matabele at a nearby base, how many horses does Ralph take back from the Matabele?

5. When Samson is awakened in the middle of the night by bright lights and voices insisting they come out of the house, who is on the front lawn?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Gideon suggests that Samson come back to the mission to teach, Samson declines dejectedly and tells Gideon that he has only learned two things he could teach the children. What are those two things?

2. After Cecil fires Jordan, how long does Cecil give Jordan to pack his things and leave Cecil's mansion?

3. As his navigator is trying to create a safe path through the minefield, why does Roland insist on telling the navigator the gruesome details about the attack on Janine?

4. When Tungata and his men are spotted by Scouts, why does Tungata's thinking suddenly turn cold and clear?

5. Why are the terrorists able to attack farmhouses without fearing that the security forces will arrive to arrest them?

6. When Ralph first reaches home, he sees movement and is overjoyed. Minutes later, his joy is dashed. Why?

7. As Jordan and Zouga take their leave of each other, Jordan has one final question for Zouga before Zouga heads back to Bulawayo. What does Jordan ask his father?

8. When Gideon chides Samson's uncertainty, what does Gideon tell Samson about strong men?

9. When Vicky and Douglas offer to have Janine come and live at Queen's Lynn, why does Janine decline their offer?

10. When the two men insist that Samson must join them, why does Samson agree even though he abhors violence and war?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses several different literary techniques as the story is told in regard to the story's flow. Describe the techniques of both flashbacks and foreshadowing. How are each of these techniques used in the story? Give specific examples of each technique. Why might the author have chosen to use both of these techniques in the story? Was the story enhanced by the use of these two techniques? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

In addition to revenge, jealousy is a central theme of this novel.

a. Identify three characters that are motivated by jealousy. Describe their reasons for being jealous. Is their jealousy founded? Why or why not?

b. How does jealousy affect these characters, their decisions, and their actions?

c. What is the outcome for these characters? Were they successful in their endeavors or would they have been more successful if they had not been jealous? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Ralph Ballantyne and Craig Mellow - the survivors of each section of the novel.

a. How are the two characters similar in terms of their professional lives? How are they different?

b. How are the two characters similar in their personality characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses? How are they different?

c. If these two characters were not separated by almost one hundred years, how would you expect them to interact with each other? Would they get along? Be friends? Be enemies? Be supportive?

d. Each of these men loses the woman they love, were the men similarly affected or not? Explain your answers and your reasoning.

(see the answer keys)

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