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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 “The Shivering,” how does Ukamaka say Udenna always imposed himself on her?

2. In “The Headstrong Historian,” what does Nwamgba’s son Anikwenwa’s name mean?

3. In "Tomorrow is Too Far," what had the narrator and Dozie agreed to, before Nonso got hurt?

4. In “The Headstrong Historian,” how did Nwamgba propose to solve the problem of their infertility as a couple?

5. In “The Thing Around Your Neck,” what kinds of things did the Akunna’s relatives ask for as gifts from America?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Tomorrow is Too Far," what had the narrator told her mother to explain how Nonso had died?

2. In “The Shivering,” what is it that brings Chinedu to Ukamaka’s apartment?

3. In “The Shivering,” what causes Ukamaka’s shivering?

4. In “The Shivering,” what is it about the events in Nigeria that have Ukamaka so upset?

5. Who are the main characters of the short story "Tomorrow is Too Far"?

6. Who is the You in the story "The Thing Around Your Neck"?

7. In “The American Embassy,” why does the woman leave the embassy without completing the interview process?

8. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” what did the arrangers of marriage not tell the narrator about her husband’s professional status?

9. In “The Headstrong Historian,” how did Afamefuna validate Nwamgba’s values in the end of her life?

10. In “The Headstrong Historian,” how does Nwamgba end up sending Anikwenwa to learn English from the mission schools?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Adichie represent America in the stories of The Thing Around Your Neck? What does it stand for, in the lives of the Nigerians in her stories? What lessons do the Nigerians need to learn, to thrive there? How well do these lessons prepare people for the reality of America?

Essay Topic 2

Is there an arc that gives the disparate stories a narrative arc? Does this book have a climax that builds on the climaxes (or anti-climaxes) of the individual stories? What questions does the primary climaxes resolve? What questions does each the primary climaxes leave unanswered?

Essay Topic 3

Write an evaluative review of The Thing Around Your Neck. What is this book’s place in our culture? Who will find this book most useful? What are its uses? What are its limitations?

(see the answer keys)

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