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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 information does a towns person divulge to the narrator upon first sight of Fern?

2. In "Evening Song", to what is Cloine compared?

3. After her wild behavior, who defends Karintha?

4. According to the cotton song, what is the salvation of Judgment Day?

5. With which physical attribute on others is Esther preoccupied?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Dorris feel about the theater manager's brother, John?

2. Why might Toomer have chosen to use the comparative descriptor of a flower when detailing the storm in "Storm Ending"?

3. Describe the woman in the poem "Face".

4. What does the speaker ultimately decide to do about his hunger in "Harvest Song"?

5. What is Barlo's reaction to Esther when she is 29 and comes for him?

6. What sounds can be heard at dusk in "Georgia Dusk"?

7. How does Cloine relate physically to the speaker's emotions in "Evening Song"?

8. How does Karintha act out as a 12-year-old?

9. Why might the author have chosen to describe Cloine while sleeping in "Evening Song"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of "Cane" deals with race relations and the Black/white divide, but there are also many examples of segmentation within the Black community. Where do we see this happening in the book? Which characters experience being singled out or discriminated upon because of their skin tone? Who is doing this to them? How are their experiences similar/different?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

The redemptive nature of Christianity is a major theme in "Cane". How do we see redemption being played out in both the stories and poems of "Cane"? From what and how are characters redeemed? Is the God that Toomer presents a vengeful or forgiving God?

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This section contains 756 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample