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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 does Ella send her children?

2. What does Richard refuse from his neighbors?

3. What kind of weapon does Richard hide under his pillow?

4. What does one of the workers show Richard to demonstrate how dangerous working at the sawmill can be?

5. What does Richard work as during the summer?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Richard develop a bitter association between his father and hunger?

2. Where does Richard first find his love for books?

3. What does Richard do after he has read his speech at graduation?

4. What happens when Richard gets a flat tire on his bicycle?

5. What does the family decide is the best way to care for Richard and his brother?

6. Why does Richard threaten Addie with a knife in Chapter 4?

7. Why does Richard stop selling the newspaper?

8. Why does the schoolteacher have to move out of Granny's house?

9. What does Richard eat for his meals in Jackson?

10. How does Richard cut his ear?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the values of early 20th century America

1) How did the whites view blacks in the early 20th century?

2) What significant changes do you think occurred during this period that changed the way whites viewed blacks?

3) Does today's society share any values with early 20th century America?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the religious connotations in the book.

1) How does Wright represent black people's relationship with Christianity?

2) Why does Sue change her Christian faith for Communism?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the beatings Richard's family inflicted upon him. Why did Richard's family beat him so much? What effect did the beatings have on him? Why were such beating typical of that time period?

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This section contains 795 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample