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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 does Kanty steal from Fakoli?

2. Who first spreads the gossip that Sundiata has sworn to stand up and walk?

3. When Sundiata visits Ghana, what does he realize about the people who live there?

4. What does the king give to his subjects in celebration for the birth of the new child?

5. What animal is terrorizing the land of Do?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Djata described when the audiences sees him again at the age of three?

2. How does Sundiata collect the army that fights with him in Tabon?

3. What happens when the warriors meet a starving, old woman in Do?

4. What changes does Sundiata make in the African nation after he is appointed emperor?

5. What happens when the leaders of the twelve nations meet with Sundiata in Ka-ba?

6. When the hunter gives the king his fortune, what does he say?

7. Why are the griots considered "vessels of the past?"

8. What is the reaction when Sogolon goes into labor?

9. How does Djata learn to walk?

10. How have Sundiata's friends been living since the fall of Mali?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The role of fate plays a large part in Sundiata's rise to power. Explain why the people believed it was Sundiata's fate to rule Mali, and briefly explain three obstacles that stood in the way of Sundiata reaching the fate that had been laid out for him.

Essay Topic 2

Soumaoro and Sundiata had an almost lifelong battle with one another, culminating in two memorable battles - one when Sundiata was a boy, and one when he was man. First, explain the battle Sundiata won against Soumaoro when he was a boy, and explain what effect that battle had on Sundiata as he grew. Then, explain the battle Sundiata found himself in with Soumaoro as an adult. How did the childhood battle prepare Sundiata for the rematch in his adulthood?

Essay Topic 3

When the story opens, Djeli Mamoudou Koutate is introduced to the readers as a local griot. Briefly describe the role griots play in African culture and then compare / contrast the role griots played during Sundiata's time with their role in the culture today. How does the use of a griot in Sundiata's tale affect the way it is expressed to the reader?

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