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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 is NOT true about the "complete" gentleman?

2. What are the people of "Unreturnable-Heaven's Town" like?

3. What does the drinkard change the woman into as they escape from Skull?

4. The "half-bodied baby" commands his mother to _________.

5. What does the woman's father finally tell the drinkard?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the palm-wine drinkard's relationship with his friends at the beginning of the story.

2. Describe how the drinkard's son was born. Why is this extraordinary birth significant?

3. Comment on the parent-child relationship, during "On the Way to an Unknown Place." What is significant about the characters' roles?

4. Describe "Laugh."

5. Who is the narrator of this novel? What is he like?

6. Describe the "Spirit of Prey" and how he kills his prey.

7. When following and spying on Skull, what does the drinkard turn himself into and why?

8. What is special about Drum, Song, and Dance?

9. Describe the white monster that the drinkard and his wife encounter in "No Road--Ought to Travel from Bush to Bush to the Dead's Town."

10. Do the drinkard and his wife enjoy staying on Wraith-Island? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Palm-wine Drinkard is a circular story in that the main character ends back in the place where he started, his hometown. Explain three possible motives for developing and ending the story like this.

Essay Topic 2

The Palm-wine Drinkard can be considered part of the folklore tradition. Explain, using at least three examples, why this is the case.

Essay Topic 3

There is a didactic nature to many of the episodes in The Palm-wine Drinkard. Choose three examples and explain why they can be considered didactic.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 778 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample