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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 the only common element in the different styles of traps built for leopards?

2. What did Mr. Roos add to the trap to make it more effective?

3. What did Robin pretend to threaten to get Sammy to lift the curse?

4. How many leopards were killed during the hunt?

5. How did Elspeth protect Twinkle?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the adults try to comfort Elspeth when she could not go on the safari, and did it work?

2. What did Tilly think was the ultimate reason for the Europeans to be in Africa?

3. In what ways did Elspeth find the siafu (warrior ants) the most frightening and mysterious of Africa's creatures?

4. How did the Palmer's house differ from the Huxley's residence?

5. Why did Lettice elope with Hereward?

6. Why were the other adults so upset at Mr. Roos for trapping the leopard?

7. How did Ian describe Ahmed's people (Somalis), whom he had lived among before coming to Africa?

8. Why were Tilly and Lettice suspicious of Mr. Roos' behavior toward Elspeth?

9. How did the other Europeans and the Kikuyu feel about the Italian priests at the mission?

10. Why did Robin agree with the Italian priests in their refusal to baptize or help Njombo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Settler Alec Wilson was determined to learn everything about farming in Africa through textbooks and governmental reports. Elspeth, on the other hand, was for the most part avoiding book learning and creating her own African education through activities and exploration. Write an essay comparing and contrasting these styles of "education." Are there certain subjects that can best be learned through books? Are there others that can best be tackled through actually doing them? In what ways did Wilson's approach illustrate a European approach to education and in what ways did Elspeth's education reflect that of the African children, who did not attend schools? Would book-learning help Wilson in Africa and would hands-on learning help Elspeth once she went back to England?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

The Huxleys encountered two "foreign" concepts in marriage during their stay in Africa--the notion of a "bride-price" paid to the prospective bride's family, and polygamy. Discuss how these two practices could have impacted the society in Thika. What would have been accomplished by Njombo paying a family for a bride? Why was he not allowed to marry her without sufficient goats to give? Did the woman appear to have any say in the matter? How did the multiple wives live? What were the European attitudes toward these practices?

(see the answer keys)

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