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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 was Elspeth eating in a "funny" way at Mrs. Nimmo's the day after the party?

2. How long did Sammy stay at Fort Hall?

3. What did Crawford say was a sign of a made-up story?

4. What did Tilly knit for Randall?

5. What game did Mrs. Palmer play with Tilly to get her mind off the dying man?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Mrs. Palmer tell Elspeth Huxley that she should get two of any animal she wished to keep as a pet?

2. How did Robin and Kupanya differ in their approach to negotiating the terms of a workers' contract?

3. How did the differences between Mrs. Nimmo and Tilly come through in their first meeting?

4. Describe the relationship the Kikuyu had with their surroundings.

5. How did Mrs. Nimmo react to the wild New Year's party?

6. What was Lettice Palmer's first reaction to the health conditions in Africa?

7. How did Juma view the local inhabitants outside of Nairobi?

8. How did Huxley describe the Kikuyu attitude toward theft?

9. Describe the personality of Pioneer Mary.

10. Why were the natives so eager to bring their children to Tilly?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elspeth Huxley at one point said that the natives never stole from one another, but did not seem to have any qualms about stealing from the Europeans. Why was this the case? What forces prompted the natives to avoid stealing from one another? How did they seem to view the Europeans and why would they be willing to steal from them? Did they view the Europeans as neighbors and fellow villagers or as something else entirely?

Essay Topic 2

The European settlers met in the book all had different reasons for coming to Africa--some simply for adventure, some to make a fortune, some seemingly to escape a bad situation. What was the societal impact to the Africans of the Europeans' settlement? Did the settlers have a different impact on the local culture depending on their different reasons for being there? Or did their mere presence, regardless of motivation, have a profound effect on the locals? Is seeking adventure or fortune a legitimate reason to colonize another culture?

Essay Topic 3

Early in the book, Robin Huxley had a confrontation with the locals over the way he wanted his family's house built. Why was Robin so determined to recreate an English-style house in Africa? Why were the Africans so opposed to some of Robin's ideas? In what ways would adopting the local customs make it easier to settle in to a new area? Is it always advisable, or even possible, to recreate a certain lifestyle in a foreign land? What are the benefits of adopting the local traditions? Do you think Robin and the other Europeans were concerned about losing their European identity if they adopted too many local customs?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,040 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample