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. The day arrives when a ________ (an evil spirit, in this case, a two legged horse which stands straight like a man) visits Madame Fouchard in the middle of the night.

2. How old is Joseph Binbin Mauvant?

3. What does Mauvant vomit up?

4. How does Mama Lola discover information through her sister-in-law?

5. He comes to town alone, speaking of having done what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sina's character reveal about women in this culture? How do the women compare to the men?

2. Why is oral tradition important in this culture?

3. What is the moral of the story in this chapter? How is this a significant lesson to learn?

4. What all-important concept is discussed in this chapter? Give an example.

5. Compare Azaka to Joseph Binbin Mauvant.

6. How are vodou ideals understood? Give an example from the text that supports this. How might a modern-day American reader feel about this?

7. What is revealed about the relationship between Mama Lola and the spirits in this chapter? How is this relationship important?

8. What other imagery is used in this chapter? How does it affect the reader? What message does this imagery send?

9. What is made clear in this chapter that we as Americans often fail to understand?

10. Describe Vodou rituals and ceremonies as a whole. Give an example from this chapter that supports this.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is a growing need for Manbos.

Part 1) What is a manbo? How is this person important in Vodou culture? Why are manbos increasingly more important in Haiti? What does this reveal about Vodou culture and life in Haiti?

Part 2) How are these cultural changes seen in other cultures around the world? How is religion becoming more important in some cultures? Why?

Part 3) Would you want to be a manbo? Why or why not? Would you be able to accept a role such as this in another religious organization, if it were offered to you or asked of you? Why or why not? How do manbos reflect the role of religious leaders in a community?

Essay Topic 2

Much of life in Vodou culture is out of the people's hands.

Part 1) Describe the role of Vodou spirits in Haitian culture. How are they important in everyday life in Haiti? How do these spirits guide Haitians in the decisions they make and the way they behave?

Part 2) Is there concrete evidence in this book that the Haitians are controlled by Vodou spirits? Explain. Are Haitians the only ones who feel their lives are guided by these spirits? Why or why not?

Part 3) Who or what guides the lives of most Americans? How does this compare to the Vodou spirits? How does this affect the lives of most Americans and our country as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

There are four steps in the initiation ritual.

Part 1) What are these four steps? Describe and analyze each step. What is the purpose of each step? How does one step lead to another? What do these steps reveal or reinforce about Vodou?

Part 2) How does this initiation rite compare to rituals found in other religions and organizations? Why do these similarities exist?

Part 3) In what rituals have you participated? Why? How did you feel about these rituals and other religious rituals? Why is ritual important to humans?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,352 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample