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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 animal dies in the field under the blades of the mower in "Reapers"?

2. Of what are scythes made?

3. The poem "Evening Song" is an ode to whom?

4. Within the "Song of the Son," to what are slaves compared?

5. Upon which of Cloine's body parts is the speaker fixated?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the speaker asking of God in "Prayer"?

2. What references to the black slave experience do we see in "Portrait in Georgia"?

3. Why might the author choose to use a dog as a metaphor for the soul in "Calling Jesus"?

4. What does the speaker hope might come of slavery in "Song of the Son"?

5. When Esther is nine, she witnesses Barlo making a public speech about what?

6. According to the poem "Cotton Song," what must a man do in order to be judged kindly on Judgment Day?

7. How do men treat Karintha as a child?

8. Why does the speaker refer to Avey as a cow?

9. What is the purpose of the "Song of the Son"?

10. Describe Muriel's physical appearance at the theater.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout "Cane," we are given examples of metaphorical imagery. Using examples from the text, detail the author's use of metaphor as a means to purvey the pain and sorrow of the African-American experience in the South.

Essay Topic 2

The plight of the Black male is examined extensively within the pages of "Cane". Using at least three characters, discuss how Toomer uses individuals' stories to look at the issue of what it means to be a Black man. How are these characters expected to act? Toward women? Toward work? Toward spirituality? How do the characters deal with these expectations?

Essay Topic 3

Doubt in relationships plays a large role in character development in "Cane". Where do we see doubt taking place? Whom or what is being doubted? How does the author portray this to the reader, and in what ways is it effective? What does this doubt mean in the larger societal context?

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This section contains 683 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample