The Mzungu Boy Home

AmyBowllan — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:01:28 CDT

Chapter One - Answer the following:
1) Define the term mau-mau.
2) Who is Bwana Ruin and what is his job?
3) Visit this link to see where Nanyuki is. Use adjectives to describe the land.
4) What nationality is Kariuki? And how old is he?
5) Why were the villagers rounded up and put in a cattle enclosure?
6) On a separate sheet of paper. Illustrate the scene with Lesson One and the nine young men.
7) Use three adjectives to describe Lesson One.
8) Why doesn't Kariuki belong to a gang?
9) What's one word that describes the mood of chapter one?

Vocabulary:

malaria

Chapter Two - Answer the following:
1) What type of activities does Kariuki like to do, after school?
2) How does his mother keep him busy? Compare your life - staying busy - with Kariuki's.
3) Why are the ducks important to Kariuki?
4) What happened to Kariuki in the forest?
5) What did the men give to Kariuki?

Vocabulary:

warthog, eddying, puff adder, turaco

Chapter Three - Answer the following:
1) Using the description on page 26, create your own drawing of Bwana Ruin's farm - include a map key and compass rose in your diagram.
2) Who did Kariuki meet by the river?
3) Why isn't fishing allowed in the forest?
4) Where does Nigel come from?
5) Why does Kariuki refer to him as "the white boy?"
6) Create a chart comparing Kariuki's life to Nigel's. Examples could include: How they live? What they eat? Where they are from? Methods of travel. etc.
7) What does Kariuki help Nigel to learn? How does Nigel help Kariuki?
8) Why did Kariuki refuse the fish from Nigel?

Vocabulary

poaching, mzungu

Chapter Four: Answer the following:

1) Describe Hari and Kariuki's relationship? If you have a sibling, what is your relationship like?
2) Explain what Kariuki means when he says, on page 47, "I had long given up trying to understand the world of adults." What does he mean?
3) Read pages 48-53, then draw a picture of the jimis, Nigel and Kariuki.
4) Write a short paragraph explaining the life of a jimi.

Vocabulary

circumcised, hierarchy, liana

Chapter Five: Answer the following
1) Who are the dogs and the boys chasing?
2) In chapter 5, Nigel and Kariuki's friendship is developing at a rapid rate. Why? Think, or imagine a time when you and a friend were on a wild adventure.

Vocabulary

sinister, dilated, oblivious, quarry, impudent

Chapter Six: Answer the following
1) Why aren't villagers permitted to sit in the first row at church? Who are the seats reserved for?
2) On page 69, explain what is meant by, "As in the village, everything in the church wen according to a hierarchy." What is the hierarchy in both the village and church?
3) When did boys get their "rights?" Why do you think this was?
4) Why did the villagers come to watch Nigel eating ugali?
5) What does Kariuki's father fear most?
6) Read carefully pages 77-80. What is Kariuki's dad explaining to him? If you were Kariuki, how would you have responded? Would you still be friends with Nigel?

Vocabulary

hyrax

Chapter Seven: Answer the following
1) Wh won't Nigel stay away from the compound? Should he?
2) How are the boy's fathers and mothers the same and how are they different? What is meant when Kariuki says, "My mother's bark is worse than her bite."
3) After reading chapter 7, create your own scene with Old Moses and the boys - being careful to label each character.

Vocabulary

anarchy, futility, acacia

Chapter Eight: Answer the following
1) Describe the life of an African vs. the life of a white farmer. How were Africans treated by white farmers?
2) What has Kariuki's father had to endure - working for Bwana Ruin? But yet he returns to work. Why?
3) In chapter 8, why is Bwana Ruin so angry? What cause this breech of trust between him and the villagers. Briefly describe how they are treated as a result.
4) Why do you think Nigel was so insistent on catching Old Moses? Have you ever been on an adventure where you just wouldn't give up? Explain.

Vocabulary

bomas, feigned

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