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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 the director in Conakry give Camara before he leaves the country?

2. Who asks Camara if he would like to go abroad to finish his studies?

3. What is the quality of the instruction in Camara's school when he returns to it?

4. Who gathers the boys to take them away for their teenage ritual?

5. Who is Marie?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens towards the middle of the night when the initial procession around town finishes?

2. How has Camara's hut in Kouroussa changed when he comes home for vacation?

3. Describe the character of Mamadou.

4. What does Camara receive from his parents before he leaves home for Conakry?

5. Describe the character of Marie.

6. At the end of Camara's third year of school, he takes his proficiency examinations. Describe what happens.

7. Camara does not like one of the behaviors his mother exhibits when he gets back home for vacation? Which behavior?

8. How do the boys spend the rest of the night of their rite of passage after the roaring ceases, and how does it end?

9. What happens when Camara and his father go to talk to Camara's mother again, hoping to convince her to let Camara finish his studies in Paris?

10. How do Camara's parents initially react to his news about going to Paris?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In chapter 3, Camara describes his grandmother's hut. How does this hut compare/contrast to his mother's hut? What picture does the author bring to mind about the living quarters of people in Guinea? Describe the general idea you get about the habitation of Camara's family and compare it to your own environment.

Essay Topic 2

In chapter 3 Camara's school clothes are a theme worth discussing. Why? How do they look? Why does this cause friction for Camara. Why is this difference with his friends so important for the plot? Are these clothes an issue in Kouroussa? Why? Why not? Explore this theme with supporting evidence provided in this chapter.

Essay Topic 3

The meals in Camara's household follow a certain, strict tradition. Describe the procedures of a meal and the performance of all the characters involved. Compare/contrast Camara's rules and routines to those of his siblings, the apprentices and his parents. What does this scene teach you about Camara's culture? How does this differ/relate to your dining culture and etiquette?

(see the answer keys)

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