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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 Layla feel has dominated the lives of her family members?

2. Why is Sharif cautious about greeting Dr. Milton Bey?

3. Where does Sharif instruct Anna to take Nur if he dies?

4. What talent does Mabrouka have?

5. Which character is depicted on Amal's tapestry panel?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the "Entente cordiale" affect Sharif?

2. Why does Amal fear for 'Omar?

3. Why does Anna decide to remain in Egypt?

4. How does Sharif's motivation and behavior change by Chapter 29?

5. How does the Zionist movement affect the Egyptian characters in the book?

6. How does Tareq help Amal and the fellaheen in Chapter 26?

7. Why is Sharif offended by the carriage driver in Chapter 23?

8. What atrocity begins with the death of a few pigeons?

9. How does Amal react to Isabel's story about her experience at the shrine?

10. Describe Isabel's experience in the shrine.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the contents of Isabel's trunk affect the lives of those who read her journals? How do Anna's documents clarify both Isabel and Anna's heritage? What questions or problems do Anna's documents raise for Isabel and Anna?

Essay Topic 2

How does prejudice affect the characters in the novel? How does Anna's relationship with Layla and Sharif affect her relationship with other Europeans? How does having an English wife expose Sharif to prejudice? Does prejudice play a role in the lives of the characters living in 1997? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role of education in the novel. What roles do gender, politics, and religion have on education? In light of all these factors, where do most upper class Egyptians send their children to school, and why?

(see the answer keys)

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