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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. Why is Tabah considered an enemy village to Gideon?

2. How did the Jews respond to the first offer of a partitioned country?

3. What year is it when Farouk tells Ibrahim that the Jews are coming?

4. According to Gideon, what is Islam used as an excuse for?

5. What do most Arabs think about the United Nations' plan for a partition of Palestine?

Short Essay Questions

1. What advice does Brompton give regarding Plan D?

2. What do the Jewish people do when they first arrive?

3. What is Ishmael's childhood like?

4. What is Operation Nachshon?

5. As a child, what is Ishmael's relationship with the Jews like?

6. What happens when Mercedes arrives in Tabah on Christmas day?

7. What is Gideon's role after the news of the Jewish death camps?

8. What happens to Ramiza's first born son?

9. What role does Fawzi Kabir play in displacing Arabs from Palestine?

10. What happens when Bockmann visits the Mufti in Jerusalem in 1937?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the symbolism of Ibrahim's dagger. Consider how Ibrahim came to own it and all the action it sees throughout the novel. What does the dagger represent?

Essay Topic 2

Arab tradition guides the lives of several characters in this novel. Choose three elements of Arab tradition and explain how they impact the characters in this novel.

Essay Topic 3

Choose three of the leaders from this novel and compare and contrast them. Consider the way they rule their people, their political beliefs, and their successes/failures.

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