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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. What kind of creature does Tambu imagine herself as in the mirror in Chapter 1?

2. What crime does Shine commit in Mai Manyanga's house?

3. Why is Tambu no longer welcome at the hostel?

4. What does Tambu do when she has her visitors in Chapter 10?

5. What does Nyasha tell her children to call Tambu?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Tambu shocked to see again at the mental health institution?

2. In Chapter 1, how would you describe Tambu's relationship with the other women in her hostel?

3. Who taps on Tambu's window in the middle of the night in Chapter 6?

4. Why are Bertha and Mako pleased that a woman is causing such commotion at the Widow Manyanga's house in Chapter 6?

5. Where does Tambu first hear of the room available in Mai Manyanga's house?

6. What does the hostel matron, Mrs. May, try to help Tambu with in Chapter 1 and why?

7. What does Tambu think about her new room in Mai Manyanga's house when she initially moves in in Chapter 4?

8. What does Tambu do when she realizes Gertrude, her hostel mate, is about to be assaulted in Chapter 2?

9. What happens when the two men find Tambu passed out at the bus stop in Chapter 8?

10. Why does Tambu's respect for Aunt Lucia grow in Chapter 12?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Tambu's conflicting feelings about Tracey Stevenson. On one hand, Tambu always felt that Tracey had betrayed her in school and later at the advertising agency, winning favor and advantages because she was white. On the other, Tracey offers Tambu a job when she most needs it.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing why you think Dangarembga chooses to narrate the novel in the second-person, and what effect this choice has on the reader's understanding of Tambu's character.

Essay Topic 3

How does Dangarembga use language, pronunciation, and the differences between Shona and English to expose racial and social fault lines in this novel? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing references to the text to support your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

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