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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. After dinner and a smoke, who does Pieter wait for in the dark in Chapter 19?

2. Besides Pieter, who is angry about being born?

3. What does Jakob suggest that he and Pieter search for on a trip to the family farm?

4. What favor does the old black man in Chapter 7 ask for when the constables come looking for Stephanie?

5. How old is Pieter when he is forbidden to continue to collect stamps?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Abraham Kaplan?

2. When the captain went to Jakob's home and told him about his son and the charges, how did Jakob respond?

3. When Japie brought Pieter back home, what did Pieter do?

4. What happens at Pieter's sentencing?

5. Pieter was allowed to go home but what did he find when he got there?

6. Why does Pieter feel unclean after returning home to Nella from taking Stephanie the money for a lawyer?

7. What is the history of Pieter and his father regarding stamps?

8. Why was the young dominee so sad?

9. Why does Pieter yell "can't you read" to Steyn?

10. After being with Stephanie a second time, the lieutenant is even more upset with himself. How does he respond to being asked to be a diaken?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the dichotomy of Pieter's personality symbolize the dichotomy of the country? Support responses with a focus on character interactions and behaviors from the story. For example, Nella is so calm and pleasant on the outside, and yet so judgmental, critical and racist on the inside.

Essay Topic 2

Pieter's mother is woven throughout this story as someone who loves all, unconditionally. How does this character compare with the God portrayed in their religion and how they react to who He is in their lives and who she is to her family and the community?

Essay Topic 3

Dick, Smith, Pieter and the captain have all violated the Immorality Act in this story. Discuss each situation and provide a brief analysis of how each character's actions and corresponding outcomes reflect the legal and religious views of the society in which they live, as well as what each incident reveals about each character.

(see the answer keys)

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