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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 “Cell One,” what did Nnamabia do to earn the respect of the leader of the cult in the prison?

2. In “Imitation,” where does Nkem live?

3. In “Imitation,” what other task does the narrator say the custodians of the masks also performed?

4. In “A Private Experience,” what does Chika see when they ventures out from the store?

5. In “On Monday of Last Week,” what does Kamara fault Neil for worrying about?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Imitation,” what does Obiora feel about the children preserving Nigerian customs in America?

2. In “Ghosts,” how does the narrator characterize Ikenna’s personality?

3. In “Ghosts,” what is the custom Professor Nwoye feels he should follow, when he sees his old colleague Ikenna Okoro, and what does he do?

4. In “Imitation,” how does the narrator characterize Obiora’s courtship of Nkem?

5. In “Imitation,” what distressing news does Nkem receive from her friend who has just come back to the States from Nigeria?

6. In “A Private Experience,” what is the private experience referred to in the title?

7. In “On Monday of Last Week,” how does the narrator characterize Kamara’s relationship with Tobechi?

8. In “Jumping Monkey Hill,” what debate does Edward start with his statements about the Senegalese writer’s story?

9. In “Imitation,” what signs are there that the story supports Nkem’s position at the end of the story?

10. In “On Monday of Last Week,” what changed for Kamara after last Monday?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Adichie include history in her stories, and which histories are most influential in her characters’ lives? How do characters live with their past, their lineage, their childhood? How does the past change as characters grow up and see their lives in more detail?

Essay Topic 2

In many stories, there are two different languages being spoken by different characters, and these languages mean different things to different people. Choose three stories and discuss the different vocabularies and sets of meanings that create gaps between people’s understanding. How do the various narrators characterize the differences between languages, whether they be male and female, English and Igbo, African and American?

Essay Topic 3

What topics would you like to research further, after reading The Thing Around Your Neck. Describe why additional research or reading would be beneficial to an understanding of this book. Propose a list of articles or books you would read in order to get a better handle on The Thing Around Your Neck.

(see the answer keys)

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