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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. With whom does Tambu share a bedroom at Babamukuru's home?

2. During which month of the year did Nhamo die?

3. Who is the first relative to be served at Tambu's dinner party?

4. How does Babamukuru arrive at the village when he comes to visit?

5. Which of the following is NOT a duty young girls in Tambu's village learn to do before getting married?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tambu describe the swimming holes near her home?

2. How does Nyasha feel about the time she and her brother spent in England?

3. What education does Maiguru have, and how has her education changed her role within the family?

4. How does Nhamo die?

5. How does Tambu handle washing the hands of her relatives?

6. How is Babamukuru treated by the village when he returns?

7. What does Babamukuru say in his formal speech welcoming Tambu to the family?

8. What happens when Tambu begins to grow her own garden of corn to pay for her tuition?

9. How do the girls at Sacred Heart treat Nyasha?

10. How does Tambu feel about the food served to her and the cutlery she is forced to use at the table?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Tambu struggles with whether she wants to remember or forget her family in the village. First, give examples of two scenes in which Tambu expresses her struggle with memory. Then describe why it would be beneficial for Tambu to remember her family back home, and why it would be beneficial for her to forget where she came from.

Essay Topic 2

Tambu has spent her entire life fighting to be able to attend school. First, explain why Tambu was taken out of school in the first place. Then explain how Tambu used seeds to put herself through school and how her brother attempted to sabotage her plans. Finally, explain why Nhamo would have wanted Tambu to fail in her education.

Essay Topic 3

Back at the homestead, two interesting characters, Lucia and Takesure, are introduced for one scene only. First, describe Lucia, Takesure, and their relationship. Why do you think Dangarembga chose to introduce these characters so late in the novel? What do these two characters represent to Tambu when she returns to the village for the first time?

(see the answer keys)

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