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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. Becky was a _____________ woman and her children were ______________.

2. What do the men do after working at the sawmill in "Georgia Dusk"?

3. How does Fern feel about the townspeople gossiping about her?

4. According to the "Song of the Son," where ought we pour our soul?

5. After finding no wounds in Carma, what does Bane do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Fern do with her days?

2. How is Christ described in "Calling Jesus"?

3. Why might Toomer have chosen to end with the image of light upon Father John and Carrie?

4. How does Becky survive without the ability to work on her own?

5. Given the content of the poem "Conversion," how might the author feel about the process of conversion?

6. What effect does the smoke have on Karintha's surroundings the day that she gives birth to her child?

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

8. How is the beehive described in "Beehive"?

9. How does the narrator describe Carma?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ostracization is a key theme in Jean Toomer's "Cane". Using at lease three chapters, discuss the theme and how it is executed. Whom do we see ostracized and by whom? How is it being done? Is this a reflection of society or an individual act?

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

Toomer includes many examples of interracial relationships within "Cane." Using at least two examples, discuss the author's feelings on said relationships. How are interracial couples treated at the time by society? What adversities do they face, and how do they deal with these?

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