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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 did Robin desire after making his fortune?

2. In what year was the Huxley family heading to Thika?

3. What had the missionaries and the Government convinced the Kikuyu to adopt?

4. What game did Mrs. Palmer play with Tilly to get her mind off the dying man?

5. What kind of background did Robin say would cause a chameleon to explode?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did the Masai consider the greatest glory of mankind?

2. Why was Robin having a difficult time with the oxen?

3. Describe the personality of Pioneer Mary.

4. What became of Tilly's initial attempt to "preserve an appearance of leisured elegance"?

5. How did Huxley describe the Kikuyu attitude toward theft?

6. Why were the natives so eager to bring their children to Tilly?

7. Why were the natives so fascinated by the lamp, but did not care about the gramophone?

8. What was Lettice Palmer's first reaction to the health conditions in Africa?

9. Describe the personalities of Mr. and Mrs. Oram.

10. What did Lettice Palmer find most disturbing about Africa and what was she most concerned about for herself and fellow Europeans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lettice Palmer appeared to change in personality following the death of Ian. Write an essay describing how his death affected her. Why did she tell Elspeth that Africa was a cruel place and that nobody cared? What did her future appear to be?

Essay Topic 2

Despite his lack of success in a number of endeavors, Robin Huxley continued dreaming of fortune and moved his family to Africa in his latest attempt. At one point, Robin and Tilly have an interesting exchange about other settlers, debating whether they are romantics or fools. Based on Robin's behavior, which category did he belong in? Were his dreams realistic or was he pursuing a pipe dream? Is there in fact a big difference between a romantic and a fool?

Essay Topic 3

The European settlers met in the book all had different reasons for coming to Africa--some simply for adventure, some to make a fortune, some seemingly to escape a bad situation. What was the societal impact to the Africans of the Europeans' settlement? Did the settlers have a different impact on the local culture depending on their different reasons for being there? Or did their mere presence, regardless of motivation, have a profound effect on the locals? Is seeking adventure or fortune a legitimate reason to colonize another culture?

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