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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 is said out loud during the mourning rituals?

2. What is the first thing the narrator says in her letter?

3. In Modou's letters to the narrator while getting his degree, for what did he say he longed?

4. How does Aissatou respond to Mawdo's taking a second wife under pressure from his mother?

5. What does Modou think of the policies of the dominant party?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are two things Modou mentions in his correspondence to the narrator?

2. What decision is made about Aissatou's pregnancy and how does Ramatoulaye feel about the decision?

3. What evidence of Modou's negligence to his first family is there? How does the narrator react?

4. What does the narrator think of those who go to school instead of learning traditional crafts?

5. How does the narrator feel about the problems with Aissatou?

6. With what does Aissatou surprise the narrator and what is Modou's response? Does it surprise you, the reader, that another woman would give a car to a her best friend when the husband is not providing for her?

7. How would you describe Ramatoulaye's attitudes about men and women? Could she be considered a feminist?

8. How does the narrator react to the news and what does she think?

9. What is the first of Modou's secrets that is revealed?

10. What did Lady Mother-in-Law bring up at the mirasse and with what result?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much is written in this book about the fact that education is necessary for a country to grow and become strong economically and to bring about equality of the sexes. The United States educational system is said to be on the decline, which may result in the United States being less competitive in the marketplace in the future. Research educational systems in several countries around the world; choose at least one country considered to be "third world," and one labeled "Western world." Compare and contrast their educational systems. How has the availability or lack of educational opportunities helped or hurt a country's general living conditions? In your opinion, what does the United States need to do to improve their educational system?

Essay Topic 2

Greed has been one of the strongest motivators for much of the trauma that has happened among humanity--everything from stealing, lying, and cheating to murder, war, and genocide can be traced to individual and national greed. Find four significant events in history that happened almost solely because of greed. Discuss each event. What are the similarities among the events? What was the outcome? Who profited? Who were the losers? Is greed still a big motivator?

Essay Topic 3

Ramatoulaye's message at the end of the book is one of hope. Discuss various things that our world is doing to ensure the continuation of a healthy species and earth and how that is hopeful.

In what ways does our species and planet seem to be on a course of destruction and what needs to be done to feel hopeful about the future?

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