Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Reading Check

1. What does Makola maintain his real name is?

2. What happened to the previous chief of the outpost?

3. What does Makola trade for the ivory?

4. What does Carlier want that begins the fight between him and Kayerts?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Explain what Gobila thinks of the white colonizers.

2. How do Kayerts and Carlier respond to Makola trading for the ivory?

3. How do the men react to the delay of the steamer's return?

4. Describe the fight between Kayerts and Carlier.

Paired Resource

“The Danger of a Single Story”

• This TED talk from Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses the danger of drawing conclusions about a people based on only one story. This provides a different perspective on the colonialism present in Conrad’s story.
• How does Adichie’s warning about the danger of a single story impact your thinking about “An Outpost of Progress”? Consider how each piece reflects the theme of The Hypocrisy of Western Colonialism.

“The Gentleman of the Jungle”