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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. How does Anna dress on the train to Suez?

2. Why does Ahmad leave Palestine and return to Egypt?

3. Where does Anna sleep when she reaches the Sinai desert?

4. What does Amal discover that matches one of Omar's possessions?

5. What shocks Isabel in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Sir Charles' views of colonialism?

2. How does Anna's appearance change as she travels to Sinai?

3. Why are the schools and clinic in Tawasi closed in Chapter 11?

4. How does Jasmine shock Isabel in Chapter 5?

5. How is Amal related to Isabel?

6. Describe Egypt's government in the early 20th century.

7. How does Tareq offend Amal?

8. Why does Isabel bring a trunk to Amal?

9. Why does Anna have an unhappy marriage with Edward?

10. What fears does Deena have about the Israelis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Soueif blend the two time lines to establish continuity in the novel? Describe how Anna's journal entries parallel or compliment Amal's experiences. How is the progression of Anna's life in Egypt used to motivate Amal? How does the progression of events in Anna's journal affect the development of Amal's character?

Essay Topic 2

Compare Egypt's government in the early 20th century with its government in the late 20th century. How did the political climate and subsequent events in the early 20th century affect the political climate and events in the late 20th century? What freedoms were earned in the late 20th century due to the efforts of men like Sharif in the early 20th century?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the use of symbolism in the novel. What do Anna's three tapestries represent? What symbolic interpretation could be inferred from Isabel's visit to the shrine? Which religious figures could Sheikh 'Isa and Umm Aya symbolize and why might they have chosen to speak to Isabel? How is odor used symbolically? Who or what might Little Sharif symbolize, and why?

(see the answer keys)

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