Roots: A Study Guide

True or False

T Kunta Kinte was born in Juffure.

F The Koro family was friendly with Kunta Kinte. They were enemies.

T Silla is Omoro's brother.

T John Waller owns a tobacco plantation.

T Kunta Kinte tries to escape John Waller's farm during the New Year party.

F Part 2 happens 20 years after part 1. Only 12 years pass.

T Kunta joins the army as an officer.

T Fiddler dies during Kizzy's naming ceremony.

T Noah dies in a big fire in the woods.

T Tom Lea lives in North Carolina.

F Mingo is Kunta Kinte's uncle. Mingo is a friend of Chicken George.

F In the duel, both men have the right to shoot their guns three times. They can only shoot twice.

T Marcellus offers $2,000 for Kizzy's freedom.

F Mingo dies because of sickness. He dies from a beating.

T George is taken to England to raise fighting cocks.

T 20 years pass until George becomes a free man.

F Lea freed the rest of George's family. Tom sold George's family.

T Tom is a skilled blacksmith.

T George participates in the Battle of Fort Pillow.

F Frederick does not present problems to George.

Study Questions

Part 1

How do you become a Mandinka warrior?

You become a Mandinka warrior by passing a series of tests, and in the final cut, you are circumcised.

How does Omoro react when Kunta tells him he wants to go to university?

Omoro gets angry because Kunta should follow tradition.

Why did the Africans sing in the slave ship?

The Africans sang to plan a mutiny.

What does Kunta Kinte have to do to stop the whip slashes he was receiving after trying to escape?

Kunta Kinte had to say the name that his master's wife had given him.

Why is Kunta Kinte's foot chopped off?

His foot is chopped off because he tried to escape.

How did Kunta get to meet Belle?

Kunta met Belle because she was a medic, and she helped him.

Describe Kizzy and Missy's relationship.

They are friends, but Kizzy betrays Missy.

Part 2

What is an abolitionist?

Abolitionists were people who wanted to abolish slavery in America. They lived in the North.

Who is George's father?

George's father was Tom Lea.

What was the name of the cock George trained to fight?

The fighting cock's name was Red.

Who was Matilda?

Matilda was Chicken George's wife.

Why was Kizzy angry with the preacher?

Kizzy was angry because she did not believe in the same god as the people who mistreated her.

Who is Benjamin Murray?

Benjamin Murray is the master of George's family.

Why does Tom help the Union spy?

Tom helps the Union spy because the Union was abolitionist and against slavery.

How does Frederick die?

Frederick dies because Chicken George shot him.