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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. What does Nxumalo's father Ndela do to arouse the suspicion of the tribe's diviner?
2. Which of the following wildlife is not seen at the lake at the beginning of Chapter One?
3. For whom does Paul de Prè work as a gardener in Amsterdam?
4. Who establishes a fort at Malacca in 1511?
5. What is Paul de Prè skilled at growing?
Short Essay Questions
1. 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.
2. How does Paulus De Groot influence Detlev Van Doorn's education?
3. Given that Prince Henry of Portugal thinks Africa should be considered uncivilized until Christianity is taught to the natives, what is ironic about the way the Portuguese under Vasco da Gama behave in Sofala when they arrive there in 1498?
4. What is life like for black South Africans under apartheid and Detleef Van Doorn's new laws?
5. Why does Vera, the woman Richard Saltwood finds to marry his brother, Hilary, decide not to marry Hilary?
6. Why are white miners starving in Chapter Twelve?
7. What conflicts does Philip Saltwood observe in South Africa during his stay there?
8. What ability is valued by the San in their men, and what ability does Gao have instead?
9. What is Philip Saltwood hired to do and where does he eventually find what he is seeking?
10. What is the Broederbond that Detleef Van Doorn is invited to join in Chapter Twelve?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The Covenant contains numerous examples of interracial relationships in South Africa, both interracial friendships and interracial romances and marriages. Pick at least three interracial relationships from the novel and compare and contrast those relationships: Willem Van Doorn and Ateh/Deborah, Willem Van Doorn and Jack/Horda, Petronella Van Doorn and Bezel, Adriaan Van Doorn and Dikkop, Hilary Saltwood and Emma, Heather Botha and Craig Saltwood, and Philip Saltwood and Daniel Nxumalo. What do you think the author is saying about racial relationships, and about human relationships through his depiction of these characters and their friendships and romances? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 2
Select at least three chapters from The Covenant. Discuss how the titles of the chapters relate to the plots, themes, and characters in each chapter. Do any of the titles seem to have more than one possible meaning? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 3
In some generations in The Covenant, literacy is not of primary importance. Discuss the concept of education in The Covenant. Cite examples to support your arguments.
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This section contains 1,111 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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