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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. Where did Waiyaki sit for the ceremony?

2. For what sin of his wife's does Joshua beg God's forgiveness?

3. What kind of animal does Waiyaki sit next to in the thingira at the beginning of Chapter Four?

4. For how long has Nyambura noticed a moodiness about Muthoni in Chapter Six?

5. What is the meaning of "tiitheru"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Waiyaki feel toward Muthoni?

2. How does Joshua feel about the rite of circumcision?

3. Describe the sacred place.

4. Why is Nyambura so upset by Muthoni's confession by the river?

5. What is the significance of Kerinyaga?

6. What shocking information does Chege tell Waiyaki?

7. Describe the festivities of initiation eve.

8. What do Waiyaki and his father talk about on their walk to the sacred grove?

9. What rumors about the white people are circulating?

10. Why does Nyambura leave the village at the end of Chapter Eight?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose at least two of the female characters from "The River Between"--Muthoni, Nyambura, Waiyaki's mother, Miriamu-- and discuss in an essay how Ngugi portrays the role of women in the tribe using these characters.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the characters of Chege and Joshua. Use at least three specific examples.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the ways in which courage is defined and portrayed throughout the novel. Use at least three specific examples.

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