A Land of Permanent Goodbyes

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What is the significance of the novel’s title, A Land of Permanent Goodbyes?

A) It explains the character’s intention to never return to Syria.

B) It describes the death and separation that occurs because of the Syrian conflict.

C) It explores the idea of refugees who will never see their homelands again.

D) It explains the exploitation and interference of those who have bad intentions.

2. What is the overarching message of A Land of Permanent Goodbyes?

A) Individuals should have empathy and compassion for one another.

B) All people should volunteer in refugee camps at some point.

C) The human experience is mostly filled with exploitative people.

D) Individuals should strive to bring “hunters” to justice.

3. Why is Salim unable to adhere to the Daesh mentality?

A) He does not want to follow the rigid guidelines.

B) He values his freedom to live in the way he sees fit.

C) He respects women and has a great love for his sisters.

D) He dislikes the thievery and killing that occur in Daesh.

4. What does Destiny make clear as she shares the accounts of different refugees from all over the world?

A) All refugees have a common experience.

B) No two refugee stories are the same.

C) There is no one to help refugees on their journeys.

D) All refugees are successful in finding permanent homes.

5. Which statement best describes why Destiny is a valuable narrator?

A) She has an all-seeing, big-picture perspective.

B) She has an objective perspective and few opinions.

C) She has connections with refugee camps around the world.

D) She knows how to make stories engaging.

6. How does the author make use of the native language in the various places the refugees travel in the novel?

A) It reveals Musa and Tareq’s understanding of a variety of different languages.

B) It illustrates the ease with which refugees are able to slip into different cultures.

C) It provides unique descriptions of concepts that cannot be translated into English.

D) It contextualizes places in Tareq’s journey, further describing the refugee experience.

7. What is the purpose of Annis’s narrative in the novel?

A) To explain the financial hardship of Lesbos

B) To explore the culture of the island in Greece

C) To provide a perspective on Syrian refugees in Greece

D) To give an understanding of the hardship refugees bring to the island

8. Which of the following is an example of a common problem in countries housing refugees in the novel?

A) Exploitation

B) Housing

C) Xenophobia

D) Financial Crisis

9. How does the author reinforce the idea that Tareq and many other peoples’ refugee experiences are steeped in reality?

A) She shares her own experiences with volunteering in refugee camps.

B) The author provides real-life examples of people who have died as refugees.

C) She provides vivid descriptions of physical and emotional hardship.

D) She explains her experience as a refugee when she fled Syria.

10. Why would Tareq be an unreliable narrator for the novel?

A) He tends to embellish to make the story more compelling.

B) He does not have the experience required to tell the story.

C) He has experienced trauma that may affect his perspective.

D) He has frequent lapses in memory and cannot recall events accurately.

11. Based on Destiny’s description of the hunter and the helper, what might the author believe about acts of kindness?

A) Acts of kindness should not be shown to hunters.

B) Small acts of kindness are rare and should be valued.

C) Acts of kindness are rare.

D) Small acts of kindness have a profound impact on the world.

12. Why does the author include references to the Odyssey and Poseidon during Tareq’s journey?

A) To draw parallels between Tareq’s experience and Odysseus and Poseidon

B) To tie Greek cultural references to Tareq’s journey

C) To highlight the universal experience of refugees by comparing them with mythology

D) To reinforce Tareq’s ultimate destiny of living in Greece

13. What does the lime green jacket symbolize in the novel?

A) Hunters

B) Freedom

C) Helpers

D) Resistance

14. What can the reader infer about helpers based on Alexia’s experience?

A) It is an emotionally taxing job.

B) Helpers have hidden agendas.

C) Helpers care for their own personal well-being.

D) It is physically exhausting.

15. How does the novel portray the experiences of refugees from around the world?

A) By exploring refugee crises from different parts of the world.

B) By sharing individual accounts and stories of various refugees.

C) By analyzing the cultural diversity and traditions of different locations.

D) By providing detailed accounts of organizations who assist refugees.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the significance of Mr. Roger’s statement to always look for helpers? What does the novel do to reinforce this statement?

2. Explore the novel’s theme The Destructive Nature of Human Greed. How do greedy corporations and individuals take advantage of refugees?