81 pages • 2 hours read
Tayeb SalihA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Multiple Choice
1. C (Chapter 1)
2. B (Chapter 1)
3. A (Chapter 1)
4. A (Chapter 2)
5. D (Various chapters)
6. A (Chapter 3)
7. B (Chapter 5)
8. C (Chapter 8)
9. A (Various chapters)
10. B (Various chapters)
11. D (Chapter 9)
12. C (Chapter 9)
13. A (Various chapters)
14. D (Chapter 10)
15. B (Various chapters)
Long Answer
1. Within Salih’s novel, the narrator is not given a name; instead, he is a vehicle to transmit the story of Mustafa from his perspective. Because both characters share many similarities in their upbringing, Mustafa’s narrative causes the narrator to question his own narrative. Furthermore, details about his personal life (e.g., his marriage, his employment, etc.) are not given much attention, as he chooses to focus on the stories of others as opposed to himself. (Various chapters)
2. In addition to the fact that the narrator does not reveal much information about himself, he also does not tell the story in a completely linear timeline; in fact, many of the important scenes are told in flashbacks or recollected conversations, while the narrative may suddenly jump several years in the future with no warning.