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. When did Blackie seize four guards as hostages?

2. What is capital punishment said to encourage?

3. How did the police deal with the black farmer when he threatened them?

4. What does Abbott think Gilmore is attracted to?

5. What does Abbott say is his wider calling?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Abbott say about simple things?

2. What does Communist philosophy say about prejudice?

3. What is Abbott's opinion on freedom?

4. Why does Abbott consider Alexander Solzhenitsyn a traitor?

5. What was the first incident of racism Abbott experienced during his time away from prison?

6. How does Abbott link prejudice to testing?

7. What was the third racist incident Abbott experienced during his time away from prison?

8. What does Abbott think about Gary Gilmore?

9. What was Marx's views on capital punishment?

10. What is Abbott's opinion of American society?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How would Abbott cope in the outside world? How do you think conditions in prison could be changed to help socialize the inmates better?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the author's writing style. How would you describe the author's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? What meaning does the author's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Abbott think democracy is so slanted against black people? In what way does Communist philosophy try to do away with such prejudice?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 672 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample