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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,” how does the narrator prevent her parents from visiting Nnamabia in prison, after the first week?

2. In “A Private Experience,” what can Chika tell about the woman by her accent?

3. In “On Monday of Last Week,” how long has Kamara been working for Neil?

4. In “Ghosts,” what were Professor Nwoye and the other faculty fleeing when they saw Ikenna?

5. In “Jumping Monkey Hill,” what is the job Chioma applied for and accepted?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “On Monday of Last Week,” how does the narrator characterize Neil’s parenting?

2. Where is "Jumping Monkey Hill "set?

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

4. In “Cell One,” what is the difference between Nsukka and Enugu?

5. What is the setting for "A Private Experience"?

6. 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?

7. In “Cell One,” how did time in prison change Nnamabia?

8. In “A Private Experience,” what is the basis of the intimacy between Chika and the Hausa woman?

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 happened on Monday of last week?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the roles available to women in The Thing Around Your Neck? How are women portrayed? What kinds of choices do they get to make, and what is kept from them? How do they live within or rebel against these limits? How would you evaluate Adichie’s depiction of women in this collection of short stories? How are their roles and knowledge and behavior distinguished from the male characters?

Essay Topic 2

What role does the Nigerian Civil War play in Adichie’s short stories? What are the underlying social tensions that sparked the war, and how are they presented? How does Adichie represent the consequences and aftermath of the conflict?

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.

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