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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. Amma comes home in Chapter 30 to find which character standing at the end of the hallway in mourning clothes?

2. What happens at the meet-up between Roisin and Amma in Chapter 26?

3. Who calls Belinda from London in Chapter 32?

4. Who is taking Belinda to school on the day she finds out the bad news about Mary?

5. What aspect of Amma's appearance does Belinda consider "prettier and prettier" (126) as time goes on?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Belinda's wrist hurting her "during the long week of complete silence between Belinda and Amma" (189)?

2. How does Donkor use foreshadowing within the scene when Amma is waiting for Roisin at Starbucks?

3. Describe Helena's personality.

4. What is the significance of Amma's memory of the television show called Brookside?

5. What kind of meltdown does Amma have in Waitrose?

6. For what reason does Amma instruct Belinda to smear cake icing onto her face?

7. For what reason does Nana become brusque and severe with Belinda in the time around the shopping trip to Waitrose?

8. For what reason are Belinda and Amma stuck together at home for two solid days in Chapter 19?

9. What major revelation does Amma make to Belinda?

10. What major plot point occurs within the scene at Starbucks?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within Donkor’s novel Housegirl. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of Housegirl and one of the novel's main messages. How does Donkor make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Donkor’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of Housegirl.

(see the answer keys)

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