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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. Who tells Darling she abandoned her home, leading Darling to smash her computer, in "Writing on the Wall"?

2. How does Darling describe the bride physically in "Wedding"?

3. What is the name of the school that Darling attended in Zimbabwe?

4. Who plays MaDube in the game of pretend in "For Real"?

5. What color suit is the groom wearing in "Wedding"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where are Darling and her family going to attend a wedding in "Wedding"? How is this setting described?

2. What action does Darling commit that causes her to be looked down upon by the guests in "Wedding"?

3. How would you compare the settings of Detroit and Kalamazoo in We Need New Names?

4. What "close call" do Darling and her friends encounter in the car in "Hitting Crossroads"?

5. How would you describe the communications between Darling and her friends back home in "Angel"?

6. Whose car have Darling and her friends taken in “Hitting Crossroads"? Why?

7. What does Aunt Fostalina obsess over throughout the novel? Why?

8. How would you describe the household where Darling works as a housecleaner in "My America"?

9. For what reasons does Darling discover she cannot visit home in "Angel"?

10. How would you describe the relationship between Darling and the grocery manager Jim?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

We Need New Names addresses several serious issues in Zimbabwe, including AIDS, sexual abuse, and severe poverty. Discuss how these issues are developed in the novel. How does the author use fiction to illustrate the gravity of the situation in Zimbabwe? Is she effective in doing so?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of coming-of-age in We Need New Names. How is this theme developed through character, setting, and action? How does the author contribute to this theme through symbolism and imagery?

Essay Topic 3

What events led to Darling's family living in a shack in Paradise? What was their home like before? How does Darling recall the events surrounding losing her childhood home?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 689 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample