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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. In Chapter 7: "The Story of Apalache," the members of the expedition continue to march toward what destination?

2. From what country do Mustafa's so-called "companions" (3) hail, whose accounts he says he "intends to correct" (3)?

3. Mustafa recalls that "By the fifth day of the march to Aute," (122) how many men had to be transported by horse due to illness?

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

5. What physical characteristic does Mustafa NOT attribute to Señor Narváez in his account?

Short Essay Questions

1. Name at least five "strange customs and unbearable rules" (114) required of slaves, according to Mustafa.

2. What major plot development involving "nearly thirty men" (127) occurs by the fifth day of the armada's march toward Aute?

3. For what reason did the happiness of Mustafa and his family move?

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

5. How did Señor Ruíz come to lose an eye during the march toward Aute?

6. 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?

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

8. In what way does Lalami depict the theme of family bonds within Chapter 5: "The Story of the March"?

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

10. What is the setting presented by Mustafa in Chapter 1: "The Story of La Florida"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the roles of Mustafa’s parents within The Moor's Account. How does Lalami use Mustafa’s discussion of his own parents’ roles to highlight themes included within the overall narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Lalami's choice to tell the story of The Moor's Account using the first person point-of-view from Mustafa’s perspective. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what are Lalami’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

How is the motif of sound treated within The Moor's Account and how does its treatment relate to the novel's depicted messages?

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