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. Who offers to do the task alone first in "A Hand in the Grave"?

2. Who does Umm Saad still visit after her move?

3. What does Umm Saad debate about doing for her son?

4. What does Nabil's sister offer to her father?

5. What does Nabil say he woke up for?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Nabil decide to rob a grave?

2. What does Umm Saad think of her other two children?

3. What happens to Suhail after the graveyard plan?

4. Why does Nabil transfer out of medical school?

5. How does Umm Saad support her son at the end of the story?

6. Briefly describe the story of the Nar.

7. How do Nabil and Suhail react upon entering the graveyard?

8. How does Jadaan show his indifference to everyone around him?

9. How do the images of Umm Saad vary, regarding her temperament?

10. What does Nabil learn about the graveyard seven years later?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Men in the Sun" portrays different characters trying to get better opportunities for themselves and their families. How do the characters strive for better lives, specifically? Where do the men want to go for better opportunities? Describe the journey to get there. Remember to answer each question with evidence from the story.

Essay Topic 2

Irony is a theme that runs throughout "Men in the Sun" in the form of some of the character's actions and some of their words or the situations they find themselves in. Name three specific instances of irony, and explain why they are ironic. Remember to answer each question thoroughly with evidence from the story.

Essay Topic 3

Umm Saad goes through many feelings during the story as she tells her cousin about her son. What emotional turns does Umm Saad take when telling the story to her cousin, and what causes these emotional turns? How does she recover from each turn, and what does she console herself with? Remember to answer each question with evidence from the story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 637 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample