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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is sent to the south to see if the Dutch families there can be counted on to join the Dutch families in the north if fighting breaks out between the English and the Dutch?

2. How does Richard Saltwood earn the name Cupid in Chapter Nine?

3. What is the name of Richard Saltwood's South African estate?

4. What law do the English pass at the beginning of Chapter Eight?

5. What country does Detleef Van Door tour as an athlete, representing his country on the Springbok team?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Nxumalo in Chapter Seven with Shaka and Mzilikazi. Cite examples form the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of apartheid in The Covenant. Include the perspective of both white and black South Africans. What do you think the author is trying to say about apartheid through his depiction of it in the novel? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Some marriages in The Covenant are arranged, some are marriages of convenience, and some are nontraditional interracial relationships. Discuss any three of the following relationships: Willem Van Doorn, Ateh/Deborah, and Katje; Hilary Saltwood, Vera, and Emma; Lodevicus Van Doorn, Rebecca, and Wilhelmina Heimstra; and Paul de Prè, Petronella Van Doorn, and Annatjie Van Doorn. How does the historical era of each union affect the relationship? What do you think the author is saying about the availability of single European women and life on the South African frontier through these marriages?

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