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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 mother of the bereaved at the funeral in "For Real"?

2. What is the name of Darling's uncle with whom she lives in "Destroyedmichygen"?

3. What DVD does Darling look at with a picture that looks like Nelson Mandela on the cover in “Hitting Crossroads"?

4. Who is the former housekeeper where Darling works in "My America"?

5. Who does Tshaka Zulu attack with a spear in "My America"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. How would you describe Darling's circumstances in "My America"?

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

7. What is illuminated through Darling's conversation with the white woman in the restroom in "Wedding"?

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

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

10. How does the narrative style of the novel change in "How They Left"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the political history of Zimbabwe from 1980 to the present. Who is the President of Zimbabwe? When did he come to power? What political unrest exists and has arisen in Zimbabwe's history?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the games of pretend that Darling and her friends in Paradise play in the narrative. What is the symbolic significance of these games? What are the objectives of each of the games? How do the BBC reporters respond when they observe Darling and her friends playing a game in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the narrative style of We Need New Names. From whose perspective is the story related? How does the narrative style transition in the different chapters? Which chapters step away from the main narrative and why?

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