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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. Where had Cudjo slept during his time as a slave belonging to the Meahers?

2. How much money did Cudjo's lawyer seek from the railroad for their role in Cudjo's accident with the train?

3. What reason does Cudjo provide for not wanting to "mixee wid de other folks" (68) at an existing church?

4. What is the name of the church that Cudjo reports building with his community members in Africa Town?

5. Cudjo's late wife had the American name of Seely, but what does he report as the African name she had been given at birth?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of work do Cudjo and his countrymen and women perform once they are free?

2. What instruction does Seely keep repeating to her son Cudjo when he is struggling to survive his wounds?

3. About what event does Cudjo tell Hurston that after the telling, causes his face to take on the appearance of, in Hurston's words, "a horror mask" (48)?

4. What is the significance of Chapter VII's title Barracoon?

5. What action does Cudjo take against the railroad company and what is the result of that action?

6. To what position do the people of Africa Town appoint Cudjo when they see he is unable to work?

7. In Chapter VIII entitled Freedom, Cudjo tells of getting together with his countrymen after they had been freed. What was the general consensus within this meeting?

8. Describe a time when the sound motif appears within Cudjo's narrative.

9. What does Cudjo say about the source of King of Dahomey's wealth?

10. What is different about the start of Chapter VII entitled Slavery, in relation to its introduction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Discuss the author's decision to faithfully represent Cudjo’s speech using his own colloquial vernacular. What purpose did she have in mind when insisting upon this condition for publication and how does this decision connect to and support the overarching themes and messages of the text?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the difficulties Hurston faced as she tried to get Barracoon published. Ultimately, create an argument revolving around the benefits provided to American society through the publication of the book Barracoon.

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