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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 did Fawzy tell Firdaus about Sharifa Salah el Dine?

2. What did the people who come into the room in Chapter 3 tell Firdaus?

3. How does El Saadawi describe her emotions at the start of Chapter 3?

4. What does El Saadawi see in everyone she meets after speaking to Firdaus?

5. Who did Firdaus search for after learning of the engagement?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was Firdaus' relationship with Ibrahim similar to her relationship with Miss Iqbal?

2. Who is Marzouk and what did Firdaus do to him?

3. What was Sharifa Salah el Dine's job and how did it involve Firdaus?

4. Why did El Saadawi feel ashamed after hearing Firdaus' story?

5. Why did Firdaus tear apart the Arab man's money?

6. What does the quote "I am speaking the truth. And truth is savage and dangerous" mean?

7. How did Firdaus' relationship change with Sharifa Salah el Dine from her first few days at her home and later as time progressed?

8. Why did El Saadawi slam on the breaks at the end of Chapter 3?

9. Who did Ibrahim become engaged to and what was Firdaus' reaction?

10. What happened when Firdaus stopped speaking? How did El Saadawi react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of Firdaus' experience in the restaurant? How does she change after going there? Is it a positive or negative change?

Essay Topic 2

How does the setting effect the reader's experience of the story? Does it matter that the story is set in another country? Describe the setting of the story and explain how it is intertwined with the plot.

Essay Topic 3

How does El Saadawi address the theme of power in her book? Choose two examples of power and explain how these examples contribute to Firdaus' experience.

(see the answer keys)

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