View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Karanja's story in Chapter 8, at what time did Dedan Kimathi say he would visit the police station in Nyeri?

2. What is Njoroge listening for when he falls asleep in the end of Chapter 6?

3. What does Mwihaki discover when she rushes home to announced she has passed in school in Chapter 7?

4. How far from home is Njoroge's new school in Chapter 8?

5. Who is the big son of Jacobo?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What are Njoroge's reasons for avoiding Mwihaki in the beginning of Part 1: "The Waning Light"?

3. What event is described as happening in Murang'a in the "Interlude"? Why is it significant?

4. How much time has passed in the "Interlude" between Parts 1 and 2 of the novel? What tone is established in this brief chapter?

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

6. Where does Njoroge's family move in Part 1: "The Waning Light," Chapter 7? Why?

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

8. What does the land represent symbolically to Mr. Howlands?

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

10. How does the narrator describe Ngotho's change in demeanor in the conclusion of Part 2: "Darkness Falls," Chapter 8?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of oppression, race, and colonial expansion in Weep Not, Child. When did the British colonize Kenya? For how long was it colonized? How were the native Kenyan people affected by British colonization? How does the author explore this topic in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Njoroge as the protagonist of Weep Not, Child. How old is Njoroge when the novel begins? How old is he when it ends? What transformation does Njoroge's character undertake in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of fear and violence in Weep Not, Child. How are fear and violence used as means to suppress the people and the independence efforts? What are specific examples of events in the story that are used to inflict fear on the people? What effects do they have?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 821 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample