What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky – Lesley Nneka Arimah

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The Collection at a Glance

×What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky×is Lesley Nneka Arimah's debut short story collection, published in April 2017.
It was published by Riverhead Books and Tinder Press in the UK, then republished in Nigeria by Farafina Books in November 2017.
The collection won the Kirkus Prize for Fiction, the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction and the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award.
It was shortlisted for the 9mobile Prize for Literature in January 2018.
Before publication it was named one of the most anticipated books of 2017 by outlets including BuzzFeed, TIME and the Chicago Tribune.

The Writer: Lesley Nneka Arimah

Arimah was born on 13 October 1983 in London and is a British writer.
She grew up in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, moving frequently because her father was in the military, and moved to the United States in her early teens.
She earned a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Minnesota State University Mankato in 2010.
Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney's, Granta and Harper's, among other publications.
Her awards include the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa, the 2017 O. Henry Prize, the 2017 Kirkus Prize and the 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing.
She was honoured by the National Book Foundation as one of their 'Five Under 35' writers to watch in 2017.

Central Concerns: Women and Belonging

The collection centres on female protagonists exposed to a harsh environment that pushes them to take certain steps to fit in — or to realise they might not fit in at all.
It offers a humanizing portrait of both the Nigerian citizen and first generation young female immigrant.
It showcases the women's flaws, desires, victories and attempts to carve out a place in a country whose customs and values diverge from their heritage.
The collection explores women's dispossession from many angles, including fraught mother–daughter relationships and the complicated dynamics of female friendship.
The stories work together harmoniously to tell the stories of Nigerian women, life and upbringing.

Grief and Loss

Grief is a recurring theme across the collection.
The penultimate story, 'What is a Volcano', takes a folkloric twist, following gods and goddesses dealing with the grief of losing a child.
That story shows that immortal beings can feel very human emotions, and that grief is a powerful force that can overwhelm anyone, even goddesses.
In the title story, characters confront pain and grief and, in doing so, begin to understand other people's pain and learn from it.

Magical Realism and Genre

The stories explore magical realism, where a fantastical element is added to realistic fiction.
Arimah often takes a plot that could be plain realism and adds a magical twist.
This technique puts a new lens on important themes and helps readers understand difficult subjects such as grief and poverty through magical elements.
The collection ranges across genres — from fabulism to folk tale to science fiction — while remaining a cohesive whole.

Key Stories: 'Light' and 'Who Will Greet You at Home'

'Light' explores gender norms — what a girl is expected to be compared with what she chooses to be.
In 'Light', the father and mother cannot agree on how to raise their daughter.
The mother wants her daughter to appeal to European standards of beauty by perming her hair, while the father believes this would dim her light and wants her to be herself.
'Who Will Greet You at Home' explores the struggles of motherhood, class, expectation and empathy.
Its protagonist, Ogechi, tries to fabricate a child out of the materials around her, in a tradition of making children from inanimate materials and having them blessed by older women.
The blessings come at a price: in Ogechi's case, 'Mama' blesses the child in exchange for the protagonist's own joy — a little bit of her life for her child's life.

The Title Story

The title story explores a world where humanity has the power to remove pain and grief through mathematical calculations.
Figures known as Mathematicians use precise algorithms and equations to relieve negative emotions from customers who can afford it.
The characters' world is flipped upside down when they discover that an equation they thought was perfect has flaws.
As they reconcile with this, they begin to understand other people's pain and learn from it.
The tale is set in a future dystopia where climate change has flooded North America and Europe, and citizens of those countries have become refugees and colonizers on the African continent.
This power over feelings works as a metaphor for storytelling itself.

Nigeria as Muse and Setting

Nigeria serves as a prism refracting the myriad experiences of both former and current inhabitants.
Characters exist in relation to a Nigeria of the past — the ghost of the Nigerian civil war looms over many of the stories.
They also inhabit present-day Nigeria, either as citizens or as expats.
Arimah even imagines a future Nigeria, in which it has become the 'Biafra-Britannia Alliance' in a massive geopolitical shift resulting from devastating climate change.

Craft and Critical Reception

Arimah has been described as 'a skillful storyteller who can render entire relationships with just a few lines of dialogue'.
The stories are solid and impeccably crafted and strike at the heart of the most complicated of human relationships.
According to The Atlantic, the collection 'conveys respect for the people who claw their way through relentlessly difficult lives.'
NPR called it 'a truly wonderful debut by a young author who seems certain to have a very bright literary future ahead of her.'
The title story was featured in the first season of the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, followed by an interview with the author.

Studying the Collection for IGCSE

As a prose set text, it is examined through essay questions requiring knowledge of the whole text, supported by relevant detail and direct quotation.
Questions test all four assessment objectives: knowledge (AO1), understanding of ideas and context (AO2), analysis of language, structure and form (AO3), and informed personal response (AO4).
Because it is a collection, prepare to write about individual stories and about patterns across stories — recurring themes such as grief, motherhood and belonging.
The exam is open text, so you may take your copy in, with highlighting, underlining or brief handwritten notes — but no sticky notes or loose paper.
Revise each story's key moments, characters and settings, and be ready to analyse how Arimah uses magical realist elements to create meaning.

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1.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which story features a protagonist named Ogechi who tries to fabricate a child out of the materials around her?
Easy
- AWho Will Greet You At Home
- BLight
- CWhat Is A Volcano?
- DBuchi's Girls
2.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's story 'Light', what do the father and mother disagree about?
Medium
- AWhether their daughter should go to school
- BHow to raise their daughter, specifically what beauty looks like for her
- CWhether to move to the United States
- DWhich religion their daughter should follow
3.In the title story of Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection, what are the figures known as Mathematicians able to do?
Medium
- APredict the weather with perfect accuracy
- BUse precise algorithms and equations to relieve negative emotions from paying customers
- CBuild cities that float above the flooded land
- DCommunicate with the dead
4.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's 'What Is a Volcano?', which best describes the story's approach to grief?
Medium
- AIt shows that only humans experience grief, not gods
- BIt uses a folkloric twist with gods and goddesses to show that even immortal beings feel grief over losing a child
- CIt argues that grief can be completely eliminated by mathematical equations
- DIt suggests that grief is a minor emotion compared to anger
5.Which of the following stories are included in Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky? (Select all that apply.)
Hard
- AThe Future Looks Good
- BWar Stories
- CSecond Chances
- DThe Things They Carried
- ESightseeing
6.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's 'Who Will Greet You at Home', the blessings that make children real come at no cost.
Easy
True or false?
7.Match each story from Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection with its central focus.
Medium
- Light
- Who Will Greet You At Home
- What Is a Volcano?
- What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky
- A father and mother disagree on how to raise their daughter
- A woman fabricates a child from materials around her
- Gods and goddesses deal with the grief of losing a child
- Mathematicians remove negative emotions using equations
8.Place the following stories from Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection in the order they appear in the book, from first to last.
Medium
- The Future Looks Good
- Who Will Greet You At Home
- What Is A Volcano?
- Redemption

Soal lainnya

9.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection, which statement best describes the collection's treatment of Nigeria as a setting?
Hard
- AIt is depicted only as a distant, mythical land with no connection to real history
- BIt serves as a prism refracting the experiences of former and current inhabitants, with the Nigerian civil war looming over many stories
- CIt is shown as a utopia unaffected by climate change or political shifts
- DIt is mentioned only in the title story and nowhere else
10.Match each detail about Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky with the aspect of the book it describes.
Medium
- The setting that serves as a prism refracting the experiences of former and current inhabitants
- The genre in which a fantastical element is added to realistic fiction
- The story in which the father and mother cannot agree on how to raise their daughter
- The story that follows gods and goddesses dealing with the grief of losing a child
- Nigeria
- Magical realism
- "Light"
- "What Is a Volcano?"
11.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which of the following are true of the story "Who Will Greet You at Home"? (Select all that apply.)
Medium
- AA Nigerian woman participates in a tradition of making children out of inanimate materials.
- BThe children are blessed by older women in hopes that they will become real.
- CThe blessings come at a price, such as the protagonist's own joy being taken.
- DThe protagonist is named Ogechi and tries to fabricate a child from the materials around her.
- EThe story is set in a future in which climate change has flooded North America and Europe.
12.Place the following events or features of Lesley Nneka Arimah's title story "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky" in a logical sequence, from first to last.
Medium
- Characters live in a future dystopia shaped by climate change.
- Figures known as Mathematicians use precise algorithms and equations.
- Customers who can afford it have negative emotions relieved.
- The characters discover that an equation they thought was perfect has flaws.
13.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, in which story does a Nigerian woman have a child blessed in exchange for her own joy being "siphoned a bit, just a dab"?
Medium
- A"Who Will Greet You at Home"
- B"What Is a Volcano?"
- C"Light"
- D"The Future Looks Good"
14.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, what is the effect of the story "Light", in which the father and mother cannot agree on how to raise their daughter?
Medium
- AIt explores gender norms of what a girl is expected to be compared with what she chooses to be.
- BIt follows gods and goddesses dealing with the grief of losing a child.
- CIt shows a woman paying for her child's blessing with her own joy.
- DIt imagines a future Nigeria renamed the "Biafra-Britannia Alliance".
15.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which story is described as a work of science fiction that was featured on the Levar Burton Reads podcast?
Medium
- A"What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky"
- B"Who Will Greet You at Home"
- C"Light"
- D"What Is a Volcano?"
16.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the story "What Is a Volcano?" appears as the penultimate story of the collection.
Easy
True or false?
17.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's story 'Light', the father and mother cannot agree on how to raise their daughter. What does the mother want for her daughter?
Medium
- AShe wants her to appeal to more European standards of beauty, for example by perming her hair.
- BShe wants her to keep her natural hair so that she stands out.
- CShe wants her to become a Mathematician and remove pain.
- DShe wants her to be blessed by older women so she becomes real.
18.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's story 'Light', why does the father oppose the mother's plans for their daughter's appearance?
Medium
- AHe thinks it will dim her light as a person, so he wants her to be herself.
- BHe thinks it costs too much money and the family cannot afford it.
- CHe thinks their daughter is too young to make any decisions about her hair.
- DHe thinks it will make her forget her Nigerian heritage completely.
19.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's 'Who Will Greet You at Home', what does Ogechi give up in return for Mama's blessing on her child?
Medium
- AA little bit of her own joy.
- BHer ability to have more children.
- CAll of her money and possessions.
- DHer relationship with her own mother.
20.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's 'Who Will Greet You at Home', the blessings that make children real come at a price. What does this suggest about the story's treatment of motherhood?
Medium
- AThat becoming a mother can demand a personal sacrifice from the woman.
- BThat children made from inanimate materials can never become real.
- CThat older women are always kind and generous to younger women.
- DThat motherhood is easy for those who follow tradition.
21.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which of the following are true of the story 'Light'? (Select all that apply.)
Medium
- AThe father and mother cannot agree on what beautiful looks like for their daughter.
- BThe mother wants her daughter to appeal to more European standards of beauty.
- CThe father wants his daughter to be herself so that she shines on her own.
- DThe story is set in a future Nigeria called the Biafra-Britannia Alliance.
- EThe story follows gods and goddesses dealing with the grief of losing a child.
22.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which of the following are true of the title story 'What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky'? (Select all that apply.)
Hard
- AFigures known as Mathematicians use precise algorithms and equations to relieve negative emotions.
- BCustomers can only have their negative emotions relieved if they can afford it.
- CThe characters discover that an equation they thought was perfect has flaws.
- DThe story is a realist tale with no speculative or science-fiction elements.
- EThe story follows Ogechi as she fabricates a child from materials around her.
23.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which of the following are true of the story 'What Is a Volcano?' (Select all that apply.)
Hard
- AIt is the penultimate story of the collection.
- BIt takes a folkloric twist, following gods and goddesses.
- CIt deals with the grief that comes with losing a child.
- DIt shows that immortal beings can feel very human emotions.
- EIt is a work of science fiction set in a future Nigeria.
24.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the theme of dealing with grief appears frequently, including in the story 'What Is a Volcano'.
Easy
True or false?
25.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the story 'Light' shows the father and mother agreeing easily on how to raise their daughter.
Easy
True or false?
26.Place the following stages in the title story 'What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky' in a logical sequence, from first to last.
Medium
- Figures known as Mathematicians use precise algorithms and equations to relieve negative emotions from customers who can afford it.
- The characters discover that an equation they thought was perfect has flaws.
- The characters try to reconcile with this fact and begin to understand other people's pain as well as to learn from it.
27.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the review praises the stories as 'solid and impeccably crafted'. Which statement best describes what this praise is drawing attention to?
Medium
- AThe technical skill and control with which the stories are written
- BThe speed with which the author produced the collection
- CThe number of stories included in the collection
- DThe commercial success of the collection
28.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the collection is described as testing out 'all the tools in her kit'. Which statement best explains the effect of this metaphor?
Medium
- AIt suggests the writer experiments confidently with a wide range of techniques and genres
- BIt suggests the writer only ever uses one technique
- CIt suggests the writer is unsure which techniques to use
- DIt suggests the writer writes only in one genre
29.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the collection is praised for being 'wholly cohesive and original'. Which statement best explains how a collection of separate short stories can still be described as cohesive?
Medium
- AThe stories share recurring concerns and settings that hold the collection together as a whole
- BEvery story has exactly the same plot
- CThe stories are all set in the same single room
- DThe stories are all written in the same tense
30.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which of the following are presented as features of the writing? (Select all that apply.)
Medium
- AThe stories are described as solid and impeccably crafted
- BArimah uses Nigeria as her muse
- CThe collection is described as wholly cohesive and original
- DThe collection is described as poorly structured
- EThe stories avoid all fantastical elements
31.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the stories are described as striking at the heart of the most complicated of human relationships.
Easy
True or false?
32.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the writing is described as avoiding any focus on human relationships.
Easy
True or false?
33.Match each technique or quality praised in Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky with the description it is paired with.
Medium
- Craftsmanship
- Range of tools
- Cohesion
- Use of Nigeria
- Solid and impeccably crafted
- Tests out all the tools in her kit
- Wholly cohesive and original
- Nigeria as her muse
34.Place the following features of Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky in the order they are introduced in the review, from first to last.
Medium
- The supernatural ability to drain emotions
- The tradition of making children from inanimate materials
- Mathematicians who relieve negative emotions
- The use of Nigeria as a muse
35.Which statement best explains the effect of describing the stories as 'impeccably crafted'?
Medium
- AIt suggests the stories are written with great technical skill and control
- BIt suggests the stories were written very quickly
- CIt suggests the stories are all very short
- DIt suggests the stories are difficult to understand
36.Which statement best explains why the review describes the stories as striking at the heart of the most complicated of human relationships?
Medium
- AIt suggests the stories focus on the most difficult and complex aspects of how people relate to one another
- BIt suggests the stories avoid all human relationships
- CIt suggests the stories are only about simple friendships
- DIt suggests the stories are about animals rather than people
37.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, in which city was the writer born?
Easy
- ALondon
- BLagos
- CLas Vegas
- DMinnesota
38.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, why did the writer move around frequently during her childhood?
Medium
- ABecause her father was in the military
- BBecause her mother worked as a diplomat
- CBecause she was expelled from several schools
- DBecause her family followed seasonal farm work
39.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which language tradition does the collection belong to?
Medium
- AInternational literature originally written in English
- BTranslated Yoruba oral poetry
- CFrench-language West African fiction
- DClassical Greek drama in translation
40.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the book was republished in Nigeria by Farafina Books in November 2017.
Easy
True or false?
41.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection, what term is used for the figures who use precise algorithms and equations to relieve negative emotions in the title story?
Medium
42.Complete the following sentence about Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection using the correct terms.
Medium
The collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky explores the genre of ____, where a fantastical element is added to realistic fiction.
43.Complete the following sentence about Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky using the correct terms.
Medium
The collection explores women's ____ from a number of angles, including the fraught relationships between mothers and ____ and the complicated dynamics of female ____.
44.Complete the following sentence about Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky using the correct term.
Medium
The collection is described as offering a humanizing portrait of both the Nigerian ____ and first generation young female ____.
45.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, what is the name of the story that takes a folkloric twist and follows gods and goddesses dealing with the grief of losing a child?
Medium
46.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, what term is used for the figures who use precise algorithms and equations to relieve negative emotions in the title story?
Medium
47.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, what nationality is the writer?
Easy
48.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which story is the penultimate one?
Medium
49.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which story explores a future dystopia where climate change has flooded North America and Europe?
Medium
50.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's story 'What Is a Volcano?', which type of beings deal with the grief of losing a child?
Medium
51.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, what does the mother want for her daughter in the story 'Light'?
Medium
52.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, what term describes the genre that adds a fantastical element to realistic fiction?
Hard
53.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, how does the title story use the idea of removing pain to explore grief?
Hard
54.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, explain how Arimah's use of magical realism helps her explore difficult subjects such as grief and poverty.
Hard
55.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, explain how the collection explores women's alienation.
Hard
56.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, explain how the title story uses the power to remove pain and grief to explore those emotions.
Hard
57.In Lesley Nneka Arimah's collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, explain how the collection explores women's alienation. Refer to at least two stories.
Hard

Catatan ulasan

## What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky – Lesley Nneka Arimah **The book** - Debut short-story collection by Nigerian writer Lesley Nneka Arimah, first published April 2017 (Riverhead Books; Tinder Press in the UK), republished in Nigeria by Farafina Books, November 2017. - Won the **Kirkus Prize for Fiction**, the **Minnesota Book Award for Fiction** and the **New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award**; shortlisted for the 9mobile Prize for Literature in January 2018. - Named one of the most anticipated books of 2017 by outlets including BuzzFeed, The Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, Electric Literature, The Millions, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Nylon and TIME. **Stories in the collection** - "The Future Looks Good", "War Stories", "Wild", "Second Chances", "Windfalls", "Who Will Greet You At Home", "Buchi's Girls", "Glory", "What Is A Volcano?" and "Redemption", alongside the title story. **Central concerns** - The collection centres on **female protagonists** exposed to a harsh world that pushes them "to take certain steps to fit in, or make them realize, they just might not fit in". - It offers "a humanizing portrait of both the Nigerian citizen and first generation young female immigrant", showing "their flaws, their desires, their victories, and their attempts at carving out a place in a country whose customs and values diverge from that of their heritage". - It "explores women's dispossession from many angles, including the fraught relationships between mothers and daughters and the complicated dynamics of female friendship". - **Grief** recurs throughout, including in the penultimate story, "What Is A Volcano", which follows gods and goddesses dealing with the grief of losing a child and shows that immortal beings can feel very human emotions. **Genre and method** - The stories explore **magical realism**: a fantastical element is added to realistic fiction. Arimah takes a plot that could be realism and adds a magical twist, putting a new lens on themes such as grief and poverty. - "Who Will Greet You At Home" shows a woman, Ogechi, trying to fabricate a child from the materials around her; it explores motherhood, class, expectation and empathy. - The title story imagines a future in which humanity can remove pain and grief through mathematical calculations; the characters discover that an equation they thought perfect has flaws, and come to understand others' pain. It is set in a future dystopia where climate change has flooded North America and Europe and their citizens have become refugees and colonizers in Africa. - "Light" explores gender norms and beauty standards: the parents disagree on how to raise their daughter, the mother wanting European standards of beauty and the father wanting her to be herself. **Critical reception** - The Atlantic: the collection "conveys respect for the people who claw their way through relentlessly difficult lives." - NPR: "It's a truly wonderful debut by a young author who seems certain to have a very bright literary future ahead of her." **Exam focus (Paper 1, Section B: Prose)** - Questions test knowledge of the **whole text**, so revise across stories, not just favourites. - Be ready to write about characters, relationships, themes and settings, and to analyse how Arimah uses form, language and structure to create meanings and effects. - Support every point with relevant detail, including direct quotation, from across the collection. - The paper is open text: you may take your copy in, with highlighting, underlining or brief handwritten notes only — no sticky notes or loose paper.

Magical realism: A genre in which a fantastical element is added to realistic fiction; Arimah uses it to put a new lens on themes such as grief and poverty.
Kirkus Prize for Fiction: An award won by What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, along with the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction and the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award.
Female protagonists: The collection centres on women exposed to a harsh world that pushes them "to take certain steps to fit in, or make them realize, they just might not fit in".
Grief: A theme occurring frequently in the collection, including in the penultimate story "What Is A Volcano", which shows that even gods and goddesses can feel very human emotions.
Title story: "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky" explores what happens when humanity has the power to remove pain and grief through mathematical calculations, and the characters discover that an equation they thought perfect has flaws.
"Light": A story in which the father and mother cannot agree on how to raise their daughter, incorporating gender norms and competing ideas of beauty.
"Who Will Greet You At Home": A story exploring motherhood, class, expectation and empathy, in which Ogechi tries to fabricate a child out of the materials around her.
Open text examination: Paper 1 is open book: candidates may take a copy of the selected text into the exam, with highlighting, underlining or brief handwritten notes, but no sticky notes or separate pieces of paper.

Kartu flash

What is the title of Lesley Nneka Arimah's debut collection of short stories?

What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky.

When was What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky first published?

April 2017.

Which publishers released the collection initially?

Riverhead Books and Tinder Press (UK).

Which Nigerian publisher republished the collection in November 2017?

Farafina Books.

What major literary prize did the collection win?

The Kirkus Prize for Fiction.

Name two other awards the collection won.

The Minnesota Book Award for Fiction and the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award.

In which year was the collection shortlisted for the 9mobile Prize for Literature?

2018.

What is the central focus of the stories in the collection?

Female protagonists exposed to a harsh environment that pushes them to fit in or realize they don't, offering a humanizing portrait of Nigerian citizens and first-generation female immigrants.

Which story explores a father and mother disagreeing on how to raise their daughter?

"Light".

In "Light", what do the parents disagree about?

What beautiful looks like for their daughter: the mother wants her to appeal to European standards by perming her hair, while the father wants her to be herself.

Which story features a protagonist named Ogechi who tries to fabricate a child?

"Who Will Greet You at Home".

What themes does "Who Will Greet You at Home" explore?

The struggles of motherhood, class, expectation, and empathy.

What is the premise of the title story, "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky"?

It explores what happens when humanity has the power to remove pain and grief through mathematical calculations.

In the title story, what flaw do the characters discover?

They discover that an equation they thought was perfect has flaws.

What genre is the title story considered?

Science fiction.

Which story takes a folkloric twist and follows gods and goddesses dealing with grief?

"What Is a Volcano?".

What does "What Is a Volcano?" suggest about grief?

That immortal beings can feel very human emotions, and grief is a powerful force that can overwhelm anyone, even goddesses.

What literary genre do many of the stories in the collection explore?

Magical realism, where a fantastical element is added to realistic fiction.

How does Arimah use magical realism in her stories?

She takes a plot that could be realism and adds a magical twist, putting a new lens on important themes like grief and poverty.

What recurring theme appears frequently in the collection?

Dealing with grief.

What relationships are explored in the collection?

Fraught relationships between mothers and daughters and the complicated dynamics of female friendship.

What does the collection offer a portrait of?

Both the Nigerian citizen and first-generation young female immigrant, showcasing their flaws, desires, victories, and attempts to carve out a place in a country whose customs and values diverge from their heritage.

According to The Atlantic, what does the collection convey respect for?

The people who claw their way through relentlessly difficult lives.

What did NPR say about the collection?

It's a truly wonderful debut by a young author who seems certain to have a very bright literary future ahead of her.

What did Kirkus Reviews say about Arimah's voice?

It heralds a new voice with certain staying power.

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