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

Short Answer Questions

1. As Vassa discusses the customs of his people, he mentions a mark of distinction that the elders wear over the eyebrows. What is this mark called?

2. Vassa mentions that he has been baptized; during which year did his baptism take place?

3. In his discussion of slave conditions in Barbados, how much does Vassa say is the penalty for killing a slave there?

4. According to the Mary Prince preface, who first suggested the writing of her history?

5. In Chapter 6, what is the name of the captain with whom Vassa is sent?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the subject of the poem at the end of Chapter 10?

2. Describe the trick men attempt to use to capture Vassa in Savannah.

3. After Hetty's death, Prince is severely beaten for what mistake?

4. At the end of his narrative, what is Vassa's major argument for why the slave trade should end?

5. Discuss Prince's reaction to Hetty upon being sold to Captain I---- and arriving at his household.

6. Describe the concerns of Vassa's master when another slave accuses Vassa of plotting to escape and the resultant agreement about Vassa's freedom.

7. Describe Vassa's response to his continued slavery after he is sold.

8. Describe Vassa's experience with Quakers in Chapter 7.

9. What happens when Prince meets her mother again during her time on Turk's Island?

10. What is the conflict between Vassa and Mr. Read after he is freed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the slave trade into which Gustavus Vassa is sold with the slave system he speaks of in his recollections of growing up in Africa. Highlight three major similarities or differences between the Western slave trade and the slave system common to African tribes.

Essay Topic 2

Is there anything to Mr. Auld's argument that educating a slave is dangerous? Cite and discuss three ways in which an educated slave might be detrimental to the slave system, using supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 3

All four of the authors represented in this collection have slightly different reasons for writing their stories. Compare and contrast their motives in a well-developed essay. Include supporting information from all four narratives.

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