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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 is the name of the Van Doorn estate in South Africa?
2. For whom does Paul de Prè work as a gardener in Amsterdam?
3. Who writes the book entitled "The Truth About South Africa", accusing the Dutch Boers of abusing and murdering the native Africans?
4. What marks the territory of each individual family in Gumsto's clan?
5. Where does Captain Nicholas Saltwood build his English estate?
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. Explain why the Dutch want to gain control of the Portuguese fort at Malacca in Chapter Three, and what factor leads to their success in doing so.
3. How does Simon Kerr influence Hilary Saltwood's desire to be a missionary and his life in Africa once he becomes a missionary?
4. Why does Nxumalo decide not to return to his own village once he arrives in Zimbabwe?
5. How do the Dutch respond when Chinese workers are recruited to work the mines?
6. Describe how Nxumalo fares in the city of Zimbabwe.
7. Explain the history of the Saltwood family in England.
8. When Tjaart Van Doorn and the other Voortrekkers leave their farms, why does the Church not support them?
9. Why is Prince Henry of Portugal determined to sail around the cape of Africa in 1453?
10. Describe the commemoration of the battle at Blood River and the idea that Johanna and Piet contribute to the event.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The Covenant begins with a tribe of hunter/gatherers who live off the land, and ends with the story of a man who works for a diamond mining company. Discuss the relationship of the native African tribes, the Dutch, and the English with the land and resources of South Africa in the novel, and how this relationship parallels the development of farming and mining in South Africa. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 2
Some marriages in The Covenant are arranged, some are marriages of convenience, and some are nontraditional interracial relationships. Discuss any three of the following relationships: Willem Van Doorn, Ateh/Deborah, and Katje; Hilary Saltwood, Vera, and Emma; Lodevicus Van Doorn, Rebecca, and Wilhelmina Heimstra; and Paul de Prè, Petronella Van Doorn, and Annatjie Van Doorn. How does the historical era of each union affect the relationship? What do you think the author is saying about the availability of single European women and life on the South African frontier through these marriages?
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.
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This section contains 1,301 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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