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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. What is the name of Richard's new landlady?

2. What is Mencken famous as?

3. What did Martin Garvey advocate for black Americans?

4. Where does Richard meet a young black man?

5. What is the name of Miss Moss' daughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Richard realize as he stands in line at the relief station?

2. Why does Richard want to read H.L Mencken?

3. Why does Mrs. Moss end up disgusting Richard?

4. Why don't Southern people like it when blacks move to Northern cities?

5. How do the white man and black man use Richard to help them move the liquor?

6. What happens when Richard joins the May Day parade?

7. How do Richard's white co-workers in the cafe shock him?

8. How do the white employers at the optical factory arrange a boxing match between Richard and Harrison?

9. Why does Bill terrify Richard?

10. Who was Marcus Garvey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pick a character from the novel and discuss his/her goals and motives. Does he/she achieve his/her motive? Does he/she share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do his/her goals clash with other characters? How do the characters' goals and motives affect their interactions with each other?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss differences between the novel and autobiographical formats. What are the main elements of a novel? What are the main elements of an autobiography? What can Wright not express in an autobiography that he can in a novel? How does Wright use these limitations to his advantage?

Essay Topic 3

Examine violence in the novel.

1) In what way does the violence play an important part in getting Wright's view across?

2) How do the students think the public reacted to the novel's violence when it was first published? How would the public react to such a book today?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 835 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample