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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 “Imitation,” how does the narrator characterize Nkem’s dating life before Obiora?

2. In “Jumping Monkey Hill,” how does Edward make Ujunwa uncomfortable?

3. In “Cell One,” what happened when the narrator’s father confronted her brother about the second theft from their house?

4. In “Jumping Monkey Hill,” what does Ujunwa say happened to her right before she came to Jumping Monkey Hill?

5. In “Cell One,” how did the narrator’s brother Nnamabia make amends for stealing from his mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Ghosts,” what is the business Professor Nwoye has come to the university to see about?

2. In “On Monday of Last Week,” what happened on Monday of last week?

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

4. In “Cell One,” why was the narrator’s brother arrested?

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

6. In “Imitation,” what is the importance of the Benin masks in Nkem’s house?

7. Is Nkem victorious at the end of "Imitation"?

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

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

10. In “A Private Experience,” what are the two women doing in the market town where they meet?

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

Evaluate the final story of The Thing Around Your Neck. Does it ring true to the other stories? Does it address the problems and tensions that preceded it? What are you left wishing for closure on, if anything?

(see the answer keys)

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