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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. Where is Mr. Howlands from?

2. The narrator states in Chapter 9, "To [Ngotho] Jomo stood for custom and tradition purified by grace of learning and" what (74)?

3. What did Dedan thank the police for when he dropped them a note from an airplane, according to Karanja's story in Chapter 8?

4. What oath does the narrator say Ngotho would not take at his son's hand or instruction in Chapter 8?

5. Who shouts in the end of Chapter 9, "Never! Never! Black people must rise up and fight" (75)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Njoroge's religious faith? How is this demonstrated in Part 1: "The Waning Light," Chapter 5?

2. What does the barber symbolize in the novel?

3. How did his service in the war change Boro?

4. How have Jacobo and Mr. Howlands' positions within the community changed in Part 2: "Darkness Falls"?

5. Where is the setting established in Part 1: "The Waning Light," Chapter 1? During what time period is the story set?

6. How is Ngotho described in the beginning of the novel?

7. What does Nairobi represent symbolically to Njoroge and others in Part 1: "The Waning Light," Chapter 5?

8. How is the relationship between Ngotho and Mr. Howlands depicted in Part 1: "The Waning Light," Chapter 3?

9. What does the land represent to Ngotho in the novel?

10. Who are the members of Njoroge's family? To whom is he closest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the roles of religion, mythology, and oral tradition in Weep Not, Child. To what religion do Njoroge and his family adhere? How is this faith demonstrated in the text? How are traditional mythology and storytelling interwoven into the narrative and what is the result of this interweaving?

Essay Topic 2

Explore and discuss ways that the narrative, events, and characters in Weep Not, Child relate to our contemporary world. How is the political atmosphere of the novel seen in todays's society in the United States and elsewhere? How are themes such as oppression, fear, race, and family applicable in the novel and in your life?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the historical context of the Mau Mau Uprising. How central is this historical event to the plot of Weep Not, Child? What aspects of history are inserted into the narrative? How are the main political figures of this time characterized?

(see the answer keys)

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