That Can Be Arranged Quiz – 20 Questions

Test your understanding of Huda Fahmy’s memoir That Can Be Arranged with this comprehensive 20-question quiz. Questions are divided into four categories: plot/sequence, character motivation, theme/symbol, and synthesis. Mix of multiple-choice and short-answer formats. After the quiz, check the answer key for explanations.

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

1. At what age does Huda have her first crush?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. 3 years old
B. 5 years old
C. 7 years old
D. 10 years old

2. What does the boy do to Huda’s doll Penny?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. Steals her dress
B. Breaks her voice box
C. Draws on her face
D. Hides her under the bed

3. How long did Huda’s parents know each other before marrying?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

4. What does Huda do to get her parents to arrange suitors for her?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

5. What did Huda major in during college?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. Biology
B. English
C. Art
D. History

6. During what event does Huda first see Gehad?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. A wedding
B. A bookstore
C. A weeklong Islamic studies conference
D. A family reunion

7. Whom does Huda seek advice from at the conference?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

8. What are the two parts of an Islamic wedding as described in the book?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

Character Motivation (5 questions)

9. Why does Huda decide to reject her first proposal (the co-worker)?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. Her mother disapproved
B. He was too short
C. She noticed red flags: controlling behavior, lies, and insults toward her family
D. She wanted to focus on her career

10. Why does Huda choose not to date secretly?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. She was afraid of getting caught
B. She didn’t want to go behind her parents’ backs and put her trust in God
C. She had no opportunity to date
D. Her friends advised against it

11. After the first chaperoned date with Gehad, why does Huda take matters into her own hands?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

12. Why does Huda’s mom assign her little sister as email reader?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

13. Why does Huda make her own zaghrouta at the kitab?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. She wanted to embarrass her mother
B. She wanted to surprise everyone instead of acting demure
C. She was told to do so by Gehad
D. She forgot the traditional way

Theme & Symbol (4 questions)

14. What does the Arabic term qadr mean in the context of the book?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. Prayer
B. Destiny decreed before birth, changeable through worship and good deeds
C. A type of ululation
D. Religious knowledge

15. What does the doll Penny symbolize in the story?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

16. What do zagharit (ululations) represent at the wedding celebration?
Type: Short-answer
Answer: _______________

17. What does the concept of souls meeting before earthly life symbolize for Huda’s relationship with Gehad?
Type: Multiple-choice
A. That they were destined to be together
B. That she had met him in a dream
C. That they had known each other in a past life
D. That she felt an instantaneous, deep recognition

Synthesis (3 questions)

18. Explain how Huda’s sense of self-worth evolved from her first proposal to her marriage.
Type: Short-answer (2–3 sentences)
Answer: _______________

19. Describe the role family involvement played in Huda’s arranged marriage journey. Provide at least two examples from the book.
Type: Short-answer (2–3 sentences)
Answer: _______________

20. How does Huda’s experience in this memoir challenge the common stereotype that arranged marriages are forced?
Type: Short-answer (2–3 sentences)
Answer: _______________

Answer Key

1. B – At age five, Huda has her first crush on a boy who comes over for lunch (Chapter 3).
2. B – The boy breaks Penny’s voice box, shattering Huda’s romantic fantasy (Chapter 3).
3. One week – Huda states her parents met and were married a week later (Chapter 4).
4. She tells her mom about all the boys she had crushes on – This prompts her parents to arrange a meeting with a suitor (Chapter 4).
5. B – Huda majored in English in college and read a lot of Jane Austen (Chapter 5).
6. C – She sees Gehad on the first day of a weeklong Islamic studies conference (Chapter 7).
7. Sheikh Z – Huda asks Sheikh Z for advice about finding a spouse (Chapter 8).
8. The kitab (nikah) and the walima – The kitab is the religious ceremony; the walima is the reception held later (Chapter 11).
9. C – Huda notices controlling behavior, lies, and insults toward her family, so she listens to her gut and rejects him (Chapter 6).
10. B – She chooses not to go behind her parents’ backs and puts her trust in God (Chapter 7).
11. Her mother was sure the match wouldn’t work, but Huda felt chemistry and decided to keep the relationship moving forward (Chapter 9).
12. To read the long love letters (emails) that Huda and Gehad exchanged, since Huda’s mother didn’t have time (Chapter 10).
13. B – Instead of being the shy, demure bride, Huda walked in doing her own zaghrouta, surprising everyone (Chapter 11).
14. B – According to the glossary, qadr is destiny decreed before birth that can be changed through worship, prayer, and good deeds (Chapter 2).
15. Childhood innocence and the shattering of a first crush fantasy – The broken voice box represents the end of Huda’s romantic idealization (Chapter 3).
16. Celebration and joy – Ululations are high-pitched shrill sounds made at weddings to express happiness (Chapters 2 and 11).
17. D – Huda says she knew instantly that their souls had met before, feeling as if they had known each other forever (Chapter 10).
**18. Sample answer: After turning down her first proposal, Huda stopped seeking male approval and learned to love herself. By the time she married Gehad, her self-worth was no longer tied to being chosen, but to her own values and trust in God (Chapters 6, 7, 11).
**19. Sample answer: Huda’s parents vetted suitors (her father interviewed Gehad) and her mother planned the wedding. Her sister was assigned to read emails, showing that family remained closely involved throughout the courtship (Chapters 9, 10, 11).
**20. Sample answer: Huda repeatedly exercised choice: she rejected a proposal, chose not to date secretly, and initiated contact with Gehad. The memoir emphasizes that arranged marriage is not forced; it involves family facilitation, but the final decision is the individual’s (Chapters 1, 4, 6).

Take the quiz to see how well you remember Huda Fahmy’s journey! For more about the book, visit the main page or check out questions and answers and the ending explained.