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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 Headstrong Historian,” how was Nwamgba treated by the other women in her region?

2. In "Tomorrow is Too Far," how long ago did Nonso die, before the time of the story?

3. In "Tomorrow is Too Far," what sound did the narrator envy her mother making for Nonso?

4. In “The Shivering,” how does Ukamaka characterize Chinedu’s faith?

5. What does the “thing around your neck” do to Akunna?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” what was it that Chinaza liked about the markets in Enugu?

2. In “The American Embassy,” why has the woman come to wait in line at the American Embassy?

3. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” how does the woman’s name change when she arrives in America?

4. In “The American Embassy,” what is the woman’s relationship with the man behind her in line?

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

6. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” how does the narrator characterize the apartment she arrives in with her husband?

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

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

9. In “The American Embassy,” what injury keeps the woman in line from moving with any agility?

10. When and where is "The Headstrong Historian" set?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is the audience for The Thing Around Your Neck? What is the ideal reader for The Thing Around Your Neck likely to think about the book’s main topics? How does this book try to affect the reader? What is it trying to teach him or her, or get him or her to do?

Essay Topic 2

Which of Adichie’s stories are coming of age narratives, and what does coming of age entail, in these stories? What earlier state is left behind? What new state is assumed? What is lost and gained in the transition?

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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