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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. Who did El Saadawi know that was in prison?

2. What is Firdaus' initial impression of El Saadawi?

3. What happened when Firdaus saw herself in the mirror at her uncle's house?

4. What does the warden believe about Firdaus?

5. What did Firdaus' uncle teach her in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Sharifa Salah el Dine help Firdaus after she escaped from Bayoumi?

2. What was Firdaus' family like?

3. Who is Sheikh Mahmoud ?

4. Why did Firdaus' uncle return Firdaus to Sheikh Mahmoud?

5. Why did Firdaus' uncle change? How did he change?

6. How did Firdaus' mother hurt her and why?

7. What happened after Firdaus' graduation?

8. How did Firdaus feel when she moved into her uncle's home? What happened when she saw the mirror?

9. Why did Firdaus' uncle not want to send her to the university? What did his wife suggest?

10. What were Firdaus' instructions to El Saadawi and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the relationship between Firdaus and her madame. What role does each person fill in the other person's life? Explain two ways that the madame helps and hurts Firdaus.

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of Firdaus' experience in the restaurant? How does she change after going there? Is it a positive or negative change?

Essay Topic 3

How does the setting effect the reader's experience of the story? Does it matter that the story is set in another country? Describe the setting of the story and explain how it is intertwined with the plot.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 703 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample