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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. From what type of implement does Cudjo always drink his well water?

2. At what location were the barracoons from which Cudjo was taken by the owner of the Clotilda?

3. The first time Hurston visits Cudjo within Chapter II, what do they end up doing instead of Cudjo telling Hurston about himself?

4. What does Cudjo say had been his father's name?

5. What crop does Cudjo say he plants only for the benefit of his twin great-granddaughters?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe the death rituals Cudjo describes as being followed within his former African community.

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

4. 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?

5. What is the custom Cudjo describes that involves the whiskers of a leopard?

6. 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?

7. In the story Cudjo tells about a murderer in his African village, what penalty is enacted after the accused is found guilty?

8. What is Cudjo's reaction when Hurston calls him Kossula?

9. How does Hurston distinguish between the two types of gifts she brings to Cudjo at the start of Chapter IV and why does she make this distinction?

10. What does Cudjo say about secrecy within his former community in Africa?

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 nature and value of compassion?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the delay involved in the 2018 publication of Zora Neale Hurston's book entitled Barracoon. What is the significance of the delay and how does its significance connect to the text's larger themes?

Essay Topic 3

Perform a biographical criticism of Hurston's book Barracoon by researching the author's life and work. Be sure to create a strong and specific claim focused on this particular book and then support that claim with quotes from the book and from your author research.

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