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 does Afra say is the last thing she saw before becoming blind?

2. Why does Angeliki tell Nuri Odysseus made his journey in the famous story?

3. What does Nuri get at the old asylum building in Part III?

4. Who wraps Nuri's wound in Part IV?

5. What does Nuri mistake for planes in the sky when talking to Lucy Fisher in Part III?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part III, why does the aid worker Neil feel awkward explaining the premises at Athens to Nuri?

2. In Part IV, why is Nuri concerned about the twin boys in the camp in Greece?

3. In Part IV, what does Lucy Fisher tell Nuri after seeing his face when he comes out of his asylum interview?

4. In Part III, what does Nuri write to Mustafa to say has brought him joy to hear?

5. In Part III, what does the aid worker tell Nuri about the history of the island of Leros, where the refugee camp is?

6. In Part III, what does Angeliki tell Nuri about her condition and circumstances?

7. In Part IV, what story does Angeliki tell Nuri about Odysseus?

8. In Part IV, what does Nadim do to Nuri that shocks Nuri?

9. In Part IV, what does Nuri do to Nadim that haunts him later?

10. In Part III, what does Nuri find hanging on a line and how does Afra respond to his bringing it back for them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who are some of the victims, and what are some of the circumstances behind instances of sexual assault and exploitation throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Nuri is so unwilling to admit that he might be suffering from the effects of the trauma of the loss, violence, and grief he has experienced and witnessed? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

How does the process of the asylum interview in the United Kingdom, and the particular questions the interviewer asks Nuri, affect Nuri's state of mind? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 735 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample