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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 happens after Agnes is kicked out of a club?

2. How do Agnes's parents react when they find out about her boyfriend?

3. What does Matha become by the time she is a young adult?

4. Who is Matha's brother?

5. Who is Balaji?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Godfrey get pregnant?

2. Who cries a lot?

3. Who is Adrianna, and what does she do?

4. Why does Edward Mukuka Nkoloso get sent to prison?

5. Who kidnaps Sylvia?

6. Why does Agnes get kicked out of the Reds?

7. Who finds Jacob and his friends when their mothers worry that they are missing?

8. Where does Adrianna take Sibilla to live?

9. What does Matha take from her father?

10. What does Godfrey want to do with his life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you explain the concept of colonialism in the novel. How is colonialism addressed within the text? Which characters make points of addressing it, and in what way? Use evidence from the text to explain your thoughts.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing how the author uses characters and behaviors to develop and strengthen the theme of political fantasy. What are certain characters political fantasies, and how do they seek to bring them to fruition? Use evidence from the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you examine the significance of hair in the novel. Why is hair important for several characters, and across several generations? What function does hair serve in the novel, narratively and figuratively? Use evidence from the text to explain your thoughts.

(see the answer keys)

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