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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. Cudjo states that if a person were found guilty of murder in his former community in Africa, then what consequence would have been levied upon that person?

2. About whom is Cudjo trying to tell Hurston when she breaks in, telling Cudjo that she wants to hear more about his own life?

3. Cudjo says that the daughter of a very rich man back in his community in Africa would install each of his daughters in a fat-house for what period of time?

4. How many days pass between Cudjo telling Hurston about his grandfather's death and her next visit to his home?

5. What is NOT listed by Cudjo among the tasks a man's wives would perform in order to help him get to sleep in Cudjo's former community in Africa?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the story Cudjo tells about a murderer in his African village, what reason does the murderer give for his actions when he is questioned?

2. At the end of the Introduction, Zora Neale Hurston writes that she has been sent to ask three questions of Cudjo. What are the three questions?

3. What is the significance of the year 1859 in Cudjo's life?

4. How old is Cudjo at the time he is first interviewed by Zora Neale Hurston and what special problems does his age pose to Hurston's process?

5. What were the consequences for the Meaher family as a result of their decision to fund a journey to import slaves to Alabama?

6. What are the circumstances of Zora Neale Hurston first meeting with Cudjo?

7. What is Zora Neale Hurston's purpose for including a photograph of a doorway just prior to the Preface of Barracoon?

8. After Cudjo tells Hurston about his grandfather, what happens to make Hurston cut their visit short for the day?

9. Explain the customs followed by the wives of a deceased man in Cudjo's former African community.

10. What reason does Cudjo give for having another visitor the first day Zora Neale Hurston comes to interview him at his home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What ultimate message is Hurston's book Barracoon sending about the mythical qualities of the United States and its historical treatment of people of color?

Essay Topic 2

How is the theme of injustice portrayed in Zora Neale Hurston’s book Barracoon? Examine the author's treatment of messages regarding injustice throughout the work.

Essay Topic 3

Examine Cudjo’s use of characterization methods to portray his family members and other people whom he discusses with Zora Neale Hurston. What effect do these characterization methods have on the work's inherent themes and messages?

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