View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Richard start selling to earn money?

2. What does Richard's mother arm him with to attack the boys?

3. What does Richard say he has to see to believe in God?

4. Why can Richard not write his own speech at his graduation?

5. What does Granny do when Richard complains about her restrictions?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the family decide is the best way to care for Richard and his brother?

2. What does Richard do to raise money to move away from the South?

3. What awkward question does Richard's prospective white employer ask him?

4. How does Richard cut his ear?

5. What happens between the white security guard and Richard in Chapter 10?

6. How does Richard burn down his grandparents' house?

7. How does Richard's mother punish him for burning down the house?

8. Why does Richard get baptized in Chapter 6?

9. What does Richard do with the money he steals?

10. How does Richard's ability to read and write help him in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Wright's writing style. How would you describe the prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Wright's style give to his story?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the relationship between education and racist attitudes.

1) How has education played an important part in changing racial attitudes?

2) How did education in the past help to develop racial attitudes?

Essay Topic 3

Identify the main themes of the book. Why do you think these themes are so important to the book? How does Wright use character and setting to express his themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 730 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample