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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. In the essay "When Twitter Does What Journalism Cannot," how long was Texas state senator Wendy Davis standing outside in protest?

2. What actor plays Oscar, the main male character in the film "Fruitvale Station," according to the essay "The Last Day of a Young Black Man"?

3. As mentioned in the essay "Tragedy. Call. Compassion. Response," what does Gay say tests the limits of language?

4. "Orange Is the New Black" is based on what genre of books, according to her essay "When Less Is More"?

5. According to the essay "The Morality of Tyler Perry," with what does Perry have a finely honed obsession?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the essay "The Alienable Rights of Women," what does Gay mean by suggesting that women have good memories?

2. In the essay "Holding Out for a Hero," how does Gay define heroism?

3. In her esssay "Surviving Django," what are Gay's primary criticisms of "Django"?

4. According to the essay "The Last Day of a Young Black Man," what does Gay think of the film "Fruitvale Station"?

5. What is Gay's main criticism of "Orange Is the New Black," as analyzed in her essay "When Less Is More"?

6. In the essay "Beyond the Struggle Narrative," what types of roles is it acceptable for black women to play in hollywood films?

7. In the essay "Beyond the Struggle Narrative," why does Gay dislike the film "12 Years a Slave"?

8. In the essay "The Racism We All Carry," what personal experience does Gay include at the end to illustrate racism's prevalence?

9. In the essay "The Solace of Preparing Fried Foods," why is Gay so disgusted with the novel and film "The Help"?

10. In the essay "When Less Is More," what phrase does Gay repeat and why does she make that decision?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the author's narrative tone toward the cult of beauty and thinness, citing textual examples from her essay "Reaching for Catharsis." How does she feel about the unrealistic standards of beauty and body placed on women by society?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay asserting and arguing for a new definition of feminism. Include the new definition in the introduction and cite specific examples from the text to support your new definition.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay arguing which of the essays contains the most literary merit. Describe the essay and explain what literary aspects deem the essay excellent.

(see the answer keys)

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