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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 is Darling drinking when she asks Aunt Fostalina about visiting home in "Angel"?

2. How much money does Marina say the Lamborghini costs in the parking lot in “Hitting Crossroads"?

3. Darling says in "Wedding" that school is so easy in America even what could pass?

4. Who is the groom's friend that reads his family's messages in "Wedding"?

5. Who has brought Darling fruit from home in "Angel"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the character of Marina described in the novel?

2. How does Darling describe her impressions of America in “Destroyedmichygen”?

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

4. Where is Darling living in “Destroyedmichygen”? With whom does she live?

5. What do Darling and her friends do at J.C. Penney in "Hitting Crossroads"?

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

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

8. What does Aunt Fostalina try to order in "Angel"? Why does she become frustrated?

9. What happens in the exchange between Darling and Chipo in "Writing on the Wall"?

10. Whose funeral is observed by Darling and her friends in "For Real"? Why is the funeral significant?

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 themes of disillusionment and alienation in We Need New Names. How does Darling demonstrate her feelings of isolation after immigrating to the U.S.? How does the author illustrate these themes through character, setting, and relationships? What symbolism relates to these themes?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the character of Darling as the novel's protagonist. How old is Darling when the novel begins? What are the circumstances of Darling's life like? How do Darling's circumstances change in the course of the novel?

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