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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 Captain Saltwood's crew members does Willem Van Doorn befriend?

2. Who does Nxumalo work with to eliminate Shaka?

3. How do Hilary and his wife die?

4. What kind of shelters do Gumsto's clan members make for their dwellings?

5. What is the Old Seeker's spear made out of in Chapter Two?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the Dutch respond when Chinese workers are recruited to work the mines?

2. Why does the Old Seeker ostensibly bring Nxumalo to Zimbabwe, and what is his real reason for bringing Nxumalo to the great city?

3. Describe the commemoration of the battle at Blood River and the idea that Johanna and Piet contribute to the event.

4. How does Paul de Prè achieve his goal of acquiring the Van Doorn estate of Trianon, and why do his sons not inherit it after him?

5. How does racism affect Heather Botha in Chapter Thirteen?

6. What factors almost bring about the destruction of the Xhosa tribe in 1857 and how does Richard Saltwood save the tribe from starving?

7. How does the white race respond to apartheid in South Africa under Detleef Van Doorn's new laws?

8. How is high school student Petra affected by racism in Chapter Thirteen?

9. A San elder will sacrifice everything in order to ensure that his or her clan continues and thrives. Give some examples of this sacrifice from Chapter One of The Covenant by James Michener.

10. In Chapter Ten, to what does Micah Nxumalo see the battle between the English and the Dutch as a forerunner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Show how the relationship of miners and the mining companies for which they work changes over the years in The Covenant. Do black miners get the same wages as white miners? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

What character flaws and strengths do you see in the Saltwood family through the generations depicted in The Covenant? Select at least three characters from the Saltwood family, each from a different generation, and discuss how their flaws and strengths help or hinder the characters in dealing with the conflicts in their relationships and in their historical eras. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the treatment of women in The Covenant. Do the men in the novel treat the women as equals or do they try to dominate them? How does the treatment of women in the novel compare to the treatment of black South Africans? Do the African tribes treat women any differently than the Europeans? Does the treatment of women change from one generation to another? Cite at least three examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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