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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 crisis did Morocco face in the mid 1950s?

2. How old was Abou Zayd when Morocco gained independence from France?

3. Who tells Zahra that her husband is in jail?

4. What does Zahra compare the Casablanca Massacre to?

5. Where does Zahra return to in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who raised Zahra and why could she not go back to their home?

2. Describe Abou Zayd's childhood and how it affected her writing.

3. What did Zahra's parents do for a living and why was it dangerous?

4. What happened in Morocco when it gained independence?

5. How does Zahra decide to make a living and who taught her this skill?

6. Describe the narrator of "The Year of the Elephant".

7. Why might Abou Zayd have written "Year of the Elephant" in Arabic?

8. What is a "caid"?

9. What is the Year of the Elephant ?

10. What was Zahra's experience at Al-Adir?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Zahra's faqih (note the spelling of faqih) and what role does he play in her life choices ?

Essay Topic 2

Zahra meets many interesting people in the book. These people influence her life in many ways. Choose one person or couple she meets that influence her life, and explain the positive and negative aspects of that influence.

Essay Topic 3

What role does religion play in "Year of the Elephant"? Choose two examples and explain religion plays a role in the story "Year of the Elephant".

(see the answer keys)

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