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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. Camara's mother's presence maintains what during meal times?

2. What announces that the harvest has begun?

3. What do Camara and his friends play with while he's in Tindican?

4. Who makes fun of Camara because he's feeling awkward around Fanta?

5. What does Camara's father do as he works with the gold?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the second half of the reapers' days look like?

2. One day, a woman comes to Camara's father's shop with gold. She wants the gold made into a trinket. What is special about having a trinket made?

3. Where are Camara's parents' huts located, and what are the consequences of living in that location?

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

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

6. Describe the character of Camara's father.

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

8. After the snake encounter, Camara finds it amusing to yell to his mother, "There's a snake!" How does his mother react when he yells like this?

9. Describe the initial relationship between Camara and Fanta?

10. Camara remembers seeing a snake for the first time and being fascinated with its glittering eyes. What does he do to the snake, and what happens next?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In chapter 9, Camara leaves home for Conakry. This is an important change in his life in relation to his environment, lifestyle and companions. Compare/contrast all these changes to his life before he turned fifteen.

Essay Topic 2

"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 3

In the African culture, rituals are important. Describe the preparatory ritual of Camara's father before he does gold work. What does this ritual involve? Why is this ritual important? Compare this ritual to other rituals Camara's father performs throughout "The Dark Child."

(see the answer keys)

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