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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 the Termite House actually?

2. How does "Spirit of Prey" kill his prey?

3. How do the attendants complete the task the king assigns them, regarding the drinkard and his wife?

4. What does the king command his attendants to do to the drinkard and his wife?

5. Why won't the people of Wraith Island leave with the drinkard and his wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the "half-bodied baby." Who is he and what is he like?

2. During "To Travel by Air," why does the drinkard turn himself into a bird and fly his wife to their next destination?

3. How do the drinkard and his wife eventually escape from the white creatures?

4. Why does the drinkard's initial plan to escape the white creatures backfire?

5. Describe Skull and his house.

6. Comment on how the drinkard deals with his insatiable son.

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

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

9. What kind of story is this? How is it told?

10. Describe the drinkard's reaction when he saves the woman from Skull, brings her home, but then cannot get the cowrie off her neck, which prevents her from speaking and eating. Why is this significant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fantasy and Magical Realism are two distinct but related literary genres. Discuss:

(1) The differences between the two genres.

(2) Can The Palm-wine Drinkard be considered a fantasy? Why or why not?

(3) Can The Palm-wine Drinkard be considered a an example of Magical Realism? Why or why not?

(4) How would you classify The Palm-wine Drinkard?

Essay Topic 2

Although written in the folktale fashion, The Palm-wine Drinkard is a product of an educated Nigerian man who wrote for an English speaking publisher, during the 20th century. Discuss the balance between African tradition and Western modernization. Use at least three distinct examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

The drinkard kills the red fish and red bird with the gun that Faithful-Mother gave him. Afterward, all the red people ran from him in fear. Earlier in the story, the drinkard used his juju to defeat opponents and instill the same fear in people. Please address this shift in how the drinkard deals with challenges. Be sure to discuss whether this shift is symbolic or not and why.

(see the answer keys)

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