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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What crime did the soldiers commit in the village of a dozen huts that caused Mustafa to feel guilty for having no power to stop the soldiers?
(a) Murder.
(b) Rape.
(c) Theft.
(d) Assault.

2. How many husbands did Heniya, Mustafa's mother, have before she married Mustafa's father?
(a) 1.
(b) 0.
(c) 3.
(d) 2.

3. Which member of the expedition wore a black eye patch?
(a) Father Anselmo.
(b) Señor Narváez.
(c) Señor Dorantes.
(d) Señor Castillo.

4. Mustafa begins his account by naming a particular year. For how many years had he been enslaved by this year's arrival?
(a) 5.
(b) 2.
(c) 20.
(d) 10.

5. Mustafa had already decided to be a merchant, rather than following his father into the notary business, by the time his brothers Yusuf and Yahya were how old?
(a) Teenagers.
(b) Toddlers.
(c) In their twenties.
(d) Infants.

Short Answer Questions

1. Señor Bernardo Rodriguez was forced to sell Mustafa, whom he called Esteban, due to debts incurred in what way?

2. In Heniya's story about the embroiderer and the caftans, what happens at the end of the story when the girl is found to be useless with a lute?

3. The slave trader told Señor Dorantes that Mustafa, whom he called Esteban, would be a valuable asset to the expedition due to his skills in what area?

4. What sacrament were Mustafa and the other slaves given up upon their arrival in Seville?

5. Mustafa states in the Prologue that he "intends to correct details of the history that was compiled by" what number of his companions?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Mustafa react to his father's plans for Mustafa's future career?

2. With what element of life did Mustafa become too entranced, causing him to eventually name it among the causes of his downfall?

3. In what way did Mustafa again undergo a name change when he was purchased by Señor Dorantes? What significance does he now find in this change?

4. What does the caftan symbolize within Chapter 4: "The Story of Aemmur"?

5. Which member of Mustafa's family died shortly before Mustafa sold himself into slavery to feed his family?

6. How old was Mustafa when his father first shared with him his plans for Mustafa's future career and what details did he share?

7. What element of the marriage between Dorotea and Bernardo Rodriguez does Mustafa name as the secret to its success?

8. Who were the main leaders of the expedition to La Florida? Name one fact about each leader.

9. In what way does Lalami include the theme of invisibility in the Prologue of the novel?

10. Discuss an instance when Lalami uses an unconventional metaphor within the text.

(see the answer keys)

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