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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 2: "Part Two: The Arbitrary Construction of Human Divisions".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Wilkerson, what serves as a signal of rank within the American caste system?
(a) Education.
(b) Wealth.
(c) Religion.
(d) Race.

2. What technique does Wilkerson use for the first time in the beginning of "An Old House and an Infrared Light"?
(a) Analogy.
(b) First person point of view.
(c) Anecdote.
(d) Rhetorical questions.

3. According to Wilkerson, what constituency does the Republican Party represent?
(a) People whose first concern is the sovereignty of the United States.
(b) Those who want to protect an older social order that benefits whites.
(c) Humanitarians and the marginalized.
(d) Progressives and nativists.

4. On page 68 of "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what does Wilkerson say is "one of the most contentious and misunderstood" words in American culture?
(a) Race.
(b) Caste.
(c) Discrimination.
(d) Racism.

5. In "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," what does Wilkerson say Americans want to dismiss as a "sad, dark chapter" of American history (43)?
(a) The Trump presidency.
(b) The Jim Crow era.
(c) Slavery.
(d) The Colonial treatment of Blacks.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what does Wilkerson say we are doing when we "see" race?

2. In the 1863 Draft Riots, what immigrant group perpetrated violence against Blacks?

3. On page 15, Wilkerson says of the old house that "whatever is lurking will fester." What is especially apt about her choice of the word "fester"?

4. On page 16, Wilkerson says that people adjust to the "idiosyncrasies" of an old house. What is she saying that they adjust to?

5. On page 6, Wilkerson refers to white "preeminence." What quality is she referring to?

(see the answer key)

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