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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. When is the douga sung?

2. Why do women want trinkets made out of gold?

3. Where is the always present visitor located when Camara's father works with gold?

4. Why does Camara not pull Fanta's hair anymore after their conversation?

5. What does Camara's father do when he hears the douga?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens in Tindican during the rice season in December?

2. One day, Camara finds a little black snake with a strikingly marked body. What is special about this snake?

3. Describe the character of Camara's father.

4. While he was growing up, what were the rules during meals in Camara's parents' household?

5. Describe the character of Lansana.

6. What does Camara's grandmother's hut look like?

7. How did Camara's father know about this specific task of gold work, and how did he prepare himself to execute the work?

8. How does Camara help out in the rice fields during the harvest?

9. A few months after all the beatings at school, the director of the French school is forced to resign because of a petition signed by all the parents. What did Camara's father have to do with this?

10. Who is Sidafa, and what do you know about him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Dark Child" is an autobiographical novel. How do you know this? Prove that the book is this kind of genre with supporting evidence gathered from the novel. What is the author's writing style? How does he relate the stories and the characters to himself? Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

The tom-tom weaves all the rituals together throughout the book. When does the tom-tom sound? How do the villagers react to it? Explore the importance of the tom-tom throughout "The Dark Child", using supporting evidence from the different chapters and scenes.

Essay Topic 3

The walk to Tindikan is of importance to Camara. The author talks about two ways Camara does this walk. Compare/contrast the different implementations of this walk and relate them to their time frame. Why is this walk important to Camara? What does it bring him?

(see the answer keys)

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