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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 is the cousin that Darling describes living with in "Destroyedmichygen"?

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

3. To whom does Darling describe her mother taking her get her to smoke from a gourd before she left for America in "Destroyedmichygen"?

4. Who wins the race back to the car in “Hitting Crossroads"?

5. Where are Darling and her friends going in “Hitting Crossroads"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How is the setting of Shadybrook nursing home described?

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

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

5. What game do the children play after the funeral in "For Real"? How is the game described?

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

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

8. What is the relationship between the groom and Aunt Fostalina in "Wedding"?

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

10. How does the narrator describe the isolation of immigrants in "How They Left"?

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

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?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the wedding that Darling attends with her aunt's family. Where is the wedding located? For what reason is Aunt Fostalina interested in attending the wedding? What are Darling's impressions of the bride and groom?

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This section contains 691 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample