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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. Near the end of "Noon," what does Sadiku say that angers Baroka?

2. When Sidi says that Sadiku has a "honey tongue," (20), what literary technique is being used?

3. What news does Sadiku bring to Sidi in the opening of "Noon"?

4. What confession does Baroka make to Sadiku that he says he has told no one else?

5. Why does Sidi not want to spend any time alone with Baroka?

Short Essay Questions

1. What evidence is there in "Noon" that there might be genuine affection between Baroka and Sadiku?

2. What is Sidi's reasoning for turning down the proposal that Baroka sends to her through Sadiku?

3. When Sadiku conveys Sidi's refusal to Baroka, what is his first reaction, and what changes his feelings?

4. When Sidi says, "The stranger took my beauty/and placed it in my hands" (20), what claim is she making for the power of the photographs?

5. What argument does Sadiku present to Sidi for marrying Baroka?

6. Explain how Baroka diverted the railroad, and why.

7. When the scene in "Noon" shifts to Baroka's bedroom, what is his favorite wife doing, and how does she use this task to communicate her feelings?

8. When, in the beginning of "Noon," Lakunle compares Sidi to women in the Bible, what message is he trying to send, and what is Sidi's response?

9. Describe Baroka's bedroom.

10. When Lakunle tells the story of Baroka's corruption, what conflicting emotions does he display?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an analysis of Sadiku's character. How does the viewer's understanding of her change from "Noon" to "Night"? Is she a good person in a difficult situation or just a terrible human being? Be sure to support your claims with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Choose a time in the history of your own country in which the forces of modernization struggled with the forces of tradition over a specific social or technological change. Write about this change, explain the arguments on both sides, and explain how the struggle was similar to and different from the struggle in The Lion and the Jewel. Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the traditional Nigerian sayings from the play and do some research into its meaning. Write an essay in which you explain the meaning of the saying and then show how it relates not only to the action but to the meaning of the play. Be sure to offer textual support for your ideas and cite your sources in MLA format.

(see the answer keys)

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