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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 was the roof made of?

2. What was the rumor about Lettice's marriage to an older man at 18?

3. What did mission-boys wear as a mark of their status?

4. What was special about the animal killed by the hunters in Chapter 12?

5. What was Robin told would make a good gift for the new couple?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the District Commissioner find it difficult to keep locals out of the prison?

2. What did the Kikuyu do to preserve memories of the dead?

3. How did the Europeans view the difference between a bribe and a tip?

4. How did the Palmer's house differ from the Huxley's residence?

5. How did Ian describe Ahmed's people (Somalis), whom he had lived among before coming to Africa?

6. How did Elspeth view the planned hunt versus the actual hunt?

7. What did Tilly think was the ultimate reason for the Europeans to be in Africa?

8. How did the Kikuyu deal with the suffering of animals?

9. How did Elspeth use the imagery of the kitchen beaters to convey the sense that Europeans and Africans were living in parallel worlds?

10. How did Lettice Palmer view Hereward's desperate attempts to impose discipline on his workers?

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

Elspeth Huxley at one point said that the natives never stole from one another, but did not seem to have any qualms about stealing from the Europeans. Why was this the case? What forces prompted the natives to avoid stealing from one another? How did they seem to view the Europeans and why would they be willing to steal from them? Did they view the Europeans as neighbors and fellow villagers or as something else entirely?

Essay Topic 3

Lettice Palmer expressed fear about the potential for the Europeans' work in Africa to disappear without a trace, much as the ancient Africans' work had disappeared. Was it fair for the Europeans to say that the Africans had failed to put a permanent mark on the land? Are city and temple ruins necessary to prove that a great culture once existed? Why would the ancient African cultures failed to have left behind permanent physical proof of their achievements? Why is it more difficult to find out about ancient cultures when there is a lack of ruins? Do Africans and Europeans have a similar reverence for oral tradition and history?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,061 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample